:00:38. > :00:44.Olympia is one of the best horse shows in the world, fabulous festive
:00:45. > :00:48.entertainment to boot, from Shetland ponies to dogs to the Household
:00:49. > :00:50.Cavalry, to top-class sport and plenty of fire, this place has it
:00:51. > :01:36.all. Throughout this programme we will be
:01:37. > :01:39.bringing you highlights of one of the Olympia's most prestigious
:01:40. > :01:43.show-jumping competition, the Grand Prix, Andy Austin is here, I'm
:01:44. > :01:46.delighted to say, we can see the competitors walking the course, what
:01:47. > :01:51.sets this apart from some of the others we have seen at Olympia? We
:01:52. > :01:54.have the World Cup at this show and the Grand Prix, those are the two
:01:55. > :01:59.major classes that all riders want to win, tonight, they will be trying
:02:00. > :02:03.really hard to win this one. We can see them having a good look at some
:02:04. > :02:07.of the fences. The courses there have been riding pretty well, rates
:02:08. > :02:12.news that a riders, perhaps less so for the course builders, will they
:02:13. > :02:17.do anything different, to try to raise it up a little for the final
:02:18. > :02:19.class at Olympia? Good point, the ground has been jumping so well,
:02:20. > :02:24.they floral than they wanted, but that is
:02:25. > :02:28.great because the ground have been entertained with exciting jump ups.
:02:29. > :02:32.I had a word with the course builder, he has said he has put in a
:02:33. > :02:37.fuse like the more difficult distances, not a massive course, but
:02:38. > :02:42.the things technically, it could be more difficult. -- jump ofs. We have
:02:43. > :02:49.got to look out for Ludger Beerbaum, the legend, quite weak, -- it has
:02:50. > :02:53.been a quiet week, but the Frenchman, he has been on fire as
:02:54. > :02:59.well, and Scott is in there as well, not with his top horse. I have got
:03:00. > :03:04.to pick who I think will win, and my pick is the Irishman, O'Connor, last
:03:05. > :03:08.to go, need has the draw, if he goes clear of the first round, then he
:03:09. > :03:13.will be the one last in the jump off. Interesting, and interesting to
:03:14. > :03:17.see how many riders are using the horses they had in the World Cup
:03:18. > :03:21.qualifier in this class today. Yes, Michael Whitaker, near is one of
:03:22. > :03:27.them, riding Viking, but he did not jump the horse the rest of the week.
:03:28. > :03:29.-- he is one of them. Real top riders, they know how to save a
:03:30. > :03:34.horse for the big-time. Is appointing that Ben Maher, last
:03:35. > :03:40.years winner in this class, has got to pull out. -- disappointing. He
:03:41. > :03:45.has a youngish horse, winning an Boomerang, but he decided it was a
:03:46. > :03:50.step too far, good decision but said not to see him out here. At about
:03:51. > :03:52.young riders, Bertram Allen has been having a tough week, Jessica
:03:53. > :04:01.Mendoza, very strong, winning it last year. What a team she was on in
:04:02. > :04:07.Aachen, and what a year it has been. On Friday night, she won a big jump
:04:08. > :04:11.of class, beating all of the top professionals. 19 years old. Winning
:04:12. > :04:15.in Aachen, for the Olympic qualification, tremendous. Bertram
:04:16. > :04:22.Allen, and characteristic to look to win in style in this way. But he
:04:23. > :04:26.does not have the top horse, these courses are not machines, they must
:04:27. > :04:29.have a rest. Bertram Allen is a very exciting young man. Some horses have
:04:30. > :04:34.been having a well-deserved break, but not Andy Austin! When he leaves
:04:35. > :04:38.here, he will be heading up to the commentary booth to join Mike
:04:39. > :04:42.Tucker. COMMENTATOR: Good evening from the grand Hall in Olympia, near
:04:43. > :04:47.we go, with that start list, some big names there are, Pius Schwizer,
:04:48. > :04:51.he has done well consistently, William Whitaker has had a couple of
:04:52. > :04:56.wins, Ludger Beerbaum has not yet hit the big-time but it not be
:04:57. > :04:59.unusual for him to come good. Bertram Allen, by his very high
:05:00. > :05:03.standards, he has not had a big show. Certainly, Jessica Mendoza
:05:04. > :05:11.has, she has shown just what she is capable of. But Simon Delestre is
:05:12. > :05:14.still the man who has Bromley had more international form in the last
:05:15. > :05:26.few weeks than anyone here. Laura Renwick has shown some good form, as
:05:27. > :05:33.has the Dutchman. Peter Drayer, another, all of them big names. --
:05:34. > :05:38.Hanns Peter Dreyer. Michael Whitaker went so well in the World Cup, and
:05:39. > :05:48.O'Connor winning a very good speed class in the last 24 hours.
:05:49. > :06:03.Getting under way with the nine-year-old, by Staccato Gold.
:06:04. > :06:10.He will give us a little indication of what this course may have in
:06:11. > :06:19.store. CO-COMMENTATOR: Only nine years old but a very powerful horse,
:06:20. > :06:23.with huge amount of strife. We'll start to get quite strong towards
:06:24. > :06:28.the end of the course. Henrik himself is a very tall and powerful
:06:29. > :06:33.rider. Two strides and then once dried out over the big box -- one
:06:34. > :06:51.stride out over the big oxer. Five awkward strides. Around to the
:06:52. > :07:01.little style, right by the end of the arena, so hard to jump. --
:07:02. > :07:08.stile. That triple bar is one metre 95. He is through, into the jump
:07:09. > :07:16.off. What a way to start for a good competition, well inside the time,
:07:17. > :07:27.that time, remember, 62 seconds. That is plenty. Pius Schwizer, he is
:07:28. > :07:35.definitely on form, slipped back in the rankings when he sold his top
:07:36. > :07:40.string, but he has begun to put a very good team together, this is one
:07:41. > :07:46.of them, PSG capital at a future, and he has been ridden very
:07:47. > :08:01.successfully by the very young Swiss rider, Peter Jukes. -- Markus Fuchs.
:08:02. > :08:07.This horse was very disappointing in the World Cup, with Martin Fuchs,
:08:08. > :08:12.looks like a sensational Grand Prix horse. Usually he can write any
:08:13. > :08:27.horse, but these two have not quite clicked. Very lucky gamma
:08:28. > :08:30.combination. One of those positive determined characters, he will still
:08:31. > :08:40.be determined to jump clear around here. Starting an awful lot better
:08:41. > :08:44.than in the World Cup, the riders have to attack the triple bar,
:08:45. > :08:54.floaty five strides. Down to the huge double. Good round... Jumped
:08:55. > :08:58.the last... Your comment that he did not jump a good World Cup round was
:08:59. > :09:05.bound to put that on the cards! That is a good clear around, so good at
:09:06. > :09:13.riding different horses. William Whitaker, Fandango. Finished fifth
:09:14. > :09:18.in the King George fifth Gold Cup at Royal International horse show,
:09:19. > :09:25.Hickstead. Good Grand Prix recently, and has had a good win here. That
:09:26. > :09:32.will give him a lot of confidence. William Whitaker getting under way
:09:33. > :09:37.with Fandango. Well, that was not just unlucky, that was a very bad
:09:38. > :09:41.mistake, towards the entrance, it is quite square, but he would like to
:09:42. > :09:50.think that at this level that would be a relatively straightforward
:09:51. > :09:57.fence. William is not going to win this competition, but we like to
:09:58. > :10:02.sing his praises. Watching him over the last two or three years, he
:10:03. > :10:10.really does stand out as an exceptional talent.
:10:11. > :10:19.Just the one clear around... Sorry, two clear rounds, but still get
:10:20. > :10:24.prize money, you have got to take it seriously, get it going, going
:10:25. > :10:30.south, as he can Duke, falling apart down the last line full of -- as he
:10:31. > :10:39.can do. Fandango getting quite tense there. Now, Ludger Beerbaum,
:10:40. > :10:50.Germany, it has been a big winner for him,
:10:51. > :10:58.this horse, as yet without a major win at Olympia, this year, in normal
:10:59. > :11:03.time, quite unusual. This horse has almost too much easy ability and can
:11:04. > :11:08.sometimes be a bit casual. In the World Cup, one slightly lazy jump.
:11:09. > :11:19.Clipped a back rail. You get the feeling that Ludger Beerbaum is
:11:20. > :11:24.going to be pretty hungry tonight. A mayor with a little bit of a
:11:25. > :11:29.character, putting her ears back. Showing her temperament. -- mare.
:11:30. > :11:35.Very capable of jumping the world's most difficult courses. Very good
:11:36. > :11:40.record of jumping mares, Ludger Beerbaum, including Gladys. Not
:11:41. > :11:45.everybody's choice, but definitely for a Ludger Beerbaum. He has done
:11:46. > :11:51.it, he is clear, that is a very good round from the Gubbio bum. -- that
:11:52. > :11:57.is a very good round for Ludger Beerbaum.
:11:58. > :12:05.Now, the young Irishman... He has been so successful, one tends to
:12:06. > :12:10.think that he will jump a clear round every time, but that has not
:12:11. > :12:16.proven the case here at Olympia so far, Bertram Allen, riding a horse
:12:17. > :12:23.from the quaint and starred in Buckinghamshire, and it is quiet and
:12:24. > :12:28.easy, this horse, wrote in this team for a couple of seasons at least,
:12:29. > :12:34.and has been a good winner with Bertram, actually. Another
:12:35. > :12:42.tremendous season. He has moved up the world rankings to be six, just
:12:43. > :12:45.20 years old. -- Quainton Stud. We have to keep remembering how young
:12:46. > :12:51.he is, he seems to have been around for a long time, but he has won so
:12:52. > :12:57.many Grand Prixs in such a short span of time, he has real belief in
:12:58. > :13:02.his in his own ability, and as you have seen with Molly Malone and
:13:03. > :13:07.others, he instilled that into his horses, and that is a gift this
:13:08. > :13:08.young horseman has, just encouraging horses and giving them that little
:13:09. > :13:20.bit more. -- Grands Prix. It has put in the extra stride, good
:13:21. > :13:26.decision with the shorts riding horse. What a round. Class round,
:13:27. > :13:38.beautifully written, making it number four. Switzerland, Sweden,
:13:39. > :13:45.Germany and Ireland. We have plenty of riders to sing their places, and
:13:46. > :13:49.you will certainly hear praises sung hire of this man. -- sing their
:13:50. > :13:57.praises. He won this Grand Prix in 2012 with Sabrina. And, in fact,
:13:58. > :14:05.Germany have a very good track record, Markus also won it back in
:14:06. > :14:13.2004, Sandra Boy. Marcus Ehning is set to go, this is his top up and
:14:14. > :14:24.coming horse at the moment. He has really shown that he is in form.
:14:25. > :14:28.Some very good placings this week. -- Sandro Boy. This young horse has
:14:29. > :14:31.an enormous amount of ability, he will have to sit quietly, middle of
:14:32. > :14:42.the combination, he has nailed that. Beautiful type of horse, future
:14:43. > :14:57.engine. But of course that Markus loves to ride.
:14:58. > :15:09.He is holding an five strides. Made it ridiculously easy, very good
:15:10. > :15:17.indeed. Marcus Ehning joins the list. And look at Ludger Beerbaum,
:15:18. > :15:27.he has also won this title. Williamson has had a very good show.
:15:28. > :15:31.Now, out in Deauville and enjoying his new base out there and this
:15:32. > :15:37.horse going very well for him, he won a team bronze medal in the
:15:38. > :15:41.Madrid European Championships. 2011, that was. The horse then went to
:15:42. > :15:46.Edwina Alexandra, did not quite work out for her. Took a little bit to
:15:47. > :15:50.get it back to the top and get it back to his ways and means. But it
:15:51. > :15:55.is certainly now a very good horse in his hands, gone well this week.
:15:56. > :16:03.It is interesting with Titus, 15 years old... For some horses, they
:16:04. > :16:07.lose a bit of energy and power but Titus has so much energy and power,
:16:08. > :16:10.you can imagine him jumping when he is 18. Gets caught out in the middle
:16:11. > :16:37.of the combination. Going to have to hold him back here.
:16:38. > :16:46.Brilliantly ridden. Well done. He is definitely going to take some good
:16:47. > :16:54.year rose back to Deauville after this year. He has been placed on a
:16:55. > :17:03.number of occasions. Now, Jessica Mendoza. Her top horse has shown
:17:04. > :17:06.exactly what they can do in big indoor competitions at this very
:17:07. > :17:19.show, but this is a new horse at this level, Sam de Bacon, nine years
:17:20. > :17:22.old, a French bred horse. She has really made her mark since the
:17:23. > :17:29.European Championships when she was catapulted into the team. She made
:17:30. > :17:42.that decision look very good indeed. Jessica Mendoza famously doing
:17:43. > :17:48.brilliant things this year with Spirit T. You can see that this
:17:49. > :17:53.young horse has got a little bit wound up here in this atmosphere,
:17:54. > :17:57.but he is a big horse here with a lot of ability, and the one thing
:17:58. > :18:06.Jess has to do is build up a string of horses behind Spirit. The girl
:18:07. > :18:13.with a lot of talent and a string of horses behind her, she will be good
:18:14. > :18:17.for Britain in the future. It is not possible as an international rider
:18:18. > :18:26.these days to have just one horse. Now it is the Frenchman Simon
:18:27. > :18:39.Delestre, ranked four in the world, he has had a fantastic two months.
:18:40. > :18:44.He finished brilliantly in Aachen. He has done exactly what we were
:18:45. > :18:50.talking about Jessica Mendoza doing. He is no newcomer by any means but
:18:51. > :18:53.he now has a team of horses that really seem to be giving him the
:18:54. > :19:00.back-up and launching him right up the rankings. The point you are
:19:01. > :19:03.making their is it is the horses these riders need. There are a lot
:19:04. > :19:08.of early and riders out there that could do with two or three Grand
:19:09. > :19:13.Prix horses added to their string. But this man, strength and depth. He
:19:14. > :19:19.is lucky at the triple bar but has kept his balance, just the last
:19:20. > :19:32.fence. A very good clear round. France are in the party.
:19:33. > :19:48.Incomes Britain's Star, the world number one, Scott Rasch. -- Brash.
:19:49. > :19:57.He won those three Grand Prix, never been done before, on Hello Sanctos.
:19:58. > :20:02.Again, trying to put together a team of horses to back-up Hello Sanctos,
:20:03. > :20:05.so that he can save him from time to time, and with the wonderful owners,
:20:06. > :20:08.Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham, who supported him to that brilliant gold
:20:09. > :20:14.medal that he was an important part of the London.
:20:15. > :20:24.This one atypical for pleasure horse, he goes with his head up.
:20:25. > :20:30.This is a horse Scott thinks a lot of, and he is only nine years old,
:20:31. > :20:37.so it is a big ask to jump the Grand Prix here. This is the sort of horse
:20:38. > :20:43.that will gradually improve year-on-year, you can see the amount
:20:44. > :20:53.of power and scope he has got. Down to the last. A clear round for
:20:54. > :21:03.Britain. We are at the party. Seven clears, and six Nations involved.
:21:04. > :21:11.Laura Renwick, a little frustrated that this horse in particular has
:21:12. > :21:17.been jumping so well, and she's been so near yet so far. Gone very well
:21:18. > :21:24.yesterday in the World Cup, and still couldn't feature in the real
:21:25. > :21:28.top half-dozen. Certainly this is a horse we have been watching very
:21:29. > :21:33.closely with a view to the British teams coming up in the next year or
:21:34. > :21:43.so. Only nine, a horse with obvious power and scope, by the lovely
:21:44. > :21:52.stallion Tangelos. This is a horse was just an extra little bit of
:21:53. > :21:53.jump. Just twisted in the air, finding it a little bit hard going
:21:54. > :22:11.over the fence. Riding with luck at the last fence.
:22:12. > :22:14.Britain have got two! Laura Renwick deserves to be there tonight, she
:22:15. > :22:22.has been banging on the door but has not gone any act. Tonight, who
:22:23. > :22:29.knows? John Whitaker, what a week he has had. Leading rider of the show,
:22:30. > :22:34.presented this morning. Not sure he would be at this point of time, if
:22:35. > :22:49.he could get good placing here, he could end up lead rider. Riding this
:22:50. > :22:55.wonderful horse by Arko, Argento. When asked what he could want for
:22:56. > :23:00.his Christmas list, he said, I'm perfect. He doesn't want anything.
:23:01. > :23:03.He has been nearly perfect this week. The interesting thing with
:23:04. > :23:08.Argento is he has been looking a bit too fresh this week. He is a cheeky
:23:09. > :23:09.character, typical stallion, he likes to have his say about the
:23:10. > :23:19.proceedings. You can see their adding up extra
:23:20. > :23:28.strides, he hasn't much of a stride, this horse, and you always looked at
:23:29. > :23:35.where he can. So after the triple bar, expect to see him put an extra
:23:36. > :23:41.stride in. And he has lost his rhythm on the corner. Yes, he gets
:23:42. > :23:52.the six, but that works so well. John knows what he's doing. Well
:23:53. > :23:55.done, John Whitaker. It is our 10th clear, and suddenly Britain, from
:23:56. > :24:01.having none, have now got a very good three.
:24:02. > :24:27.He has really produced the goods when it matters of as far as the
:24:28. > :24:33.world and the Europeans. He is not necessarily the biggest winner
:24:34. > :24:37.against the clock, but when it is about the clear rounds, he is always
:24:38. > :24:44.there, so Jur Vrieling more than capable of giving the Netherlands a
:24:45. > :24:51.second clear round. They have got Maikel van der Vleuten clear. This
:24:52. > :24:57.is a true championship type horse, all of the power and scope. He
:24:58. > :25:00.sometimes looks a little deliberate the way he goes. Jur Vrieling a very
:25:01. > :25:28.strong, effective rider. Safely home, Holland have got two,
:25:29. > :25:31.and it really is building into an exciting affair, as we thought it
:25:32. > :25:44.would, for this 100,000 euros Olympia Grand Prix. No other term of
:25:45. > :25:58.Daniel Deusser. He is riding to Largo, riding for Germany. -- riding
:25:59. > :26:02.Toulago. He hasn't hit the big-time here yet, but a man with all the
:26:03. > :26:19.class to win something pretty special.
:26:20. > :26:27.Looking comfortable so far. A tall man on a huge horse. Just cruising
:26:28. > :26:49.down these distances. He did write that with huge
:26:50. > :26:55.confidence, didn't he? Down that final line, he attacked it and made
:26:56. > :26:58.it, but you would have thought a big horse like that might have made up
:26:59. > :27:01.ground and then found himself in trouble, but not Daniel Deusser and
:27:02. > :27:16.Toulago. He has had some big wins in his
:27:17. > :27:23.career, but he is now stringing them together, and as we have said with
:27:24. > :27:29.some other riders, they are putting strings of horses together. He has
:27:30. > :27:35.jumped well in other Grand Prix lately. Hans-Dieter Derher is riding
:27:36. > :27:41.Colore, and they have been very consistent this week. He is great
:27:42. > :27:45.value to watch, an exciting ride, his horses are always bouncing
:27:46. > :27:48.around all over the place. Hans-Dieter Derher sometimes seems
:27:49. > :27:51.to have his reins up around his ears. The horses love him but they
:27:52. > :28:02.really try for him. And he is another man that we really
:28:03. > :28:06.want to see in the jump off. Oh, he is a long way off the triple bar! He
:28:07. > :28:13.is going to have to work hard to keep balanced. He sat backwards and
:28:14. > :28:17.he was very lucky. My word. I think he rattled the last four fence is
:28:18. > :28:22.quite hard, and they all stayed, so there we are. Clear round number 13,
:28:23. > :28:28.not unlucky to Hans-Dieter Derher, very lucky!
:28:29. > :28:44.As in comes Robert Whitaker with Catwalk, for me, his best horse. He
:28:45. > :28:47.started well at the Royal Wintour is show, and has gone on jumping big
:28:48. > :28:52.rounds in big competitions all summer. A little time off through
:28:53. > :28:58.his own health after the horse of the year show, but tells me he is
:28:59. > :29:05.back to form. He has had several good placings, including this horse,
:29:06. > :29:11.Catwalk. He is the fourth last ago, 13 clear rounds so far, one of them
:29:12. > :29:17.being his dad. This horse couldn't be more different to dad's halls,
:29:18. > :29:22.Argento. This is a horse with a big stride, all the ability. If Robert
:29:23. > :29:40.can keep him focused, he can jump anything.
:29:41. > :29:57.So, he will jump the triple bar and keep moving. He gets the five
:29:58. > :30:00.strides quite easily. Lovely round! So, Britain now have got four
:30:01. > :30:16.through. Michael Whitaker now, what a jockey
:30:17. > :30:21.he is. A key round in that European Championship at Aachen to get the
:30:22. > :30:25.qualification for Britain. He has put in some very good rounds here,
:30:26. > :30:33.including this horse yesterday in the World Cup. A brilliant
:30:34. > :30:40.performance. His wife's horse, Viking. Brilliant horse. A clear
:30:41. > :30:46.round now would give him a really good draw for that jump off, and we
:30:47. > :30:54.have got 14 at the moment, five of them for Britain.
:30:55. > :31:01.That was a very lucky moment there are, he needs to sit up in the
:31:02. > :31:06.middle of his combination. Have you got radiocommunication? LAUGHTER
:31:07. > :31:09.I think that Michael knows what he's doing! He has saved the horse for
:31:10. > :31:17.the end of the week, jumping clear in one of the big classes. Did not
:31:18. > :31:19.jump off. Went really well in the World Cup. Try to keep Viking ready
:31:20. > :31:36.for this last class. Sitting up for the extra stride.
:31:37. > :31:41.Classic, that gives Britain and clear around. We have the numbers
:31:42. > :32:00.there, can we keep the opposition at bay? The last one to go, for
:32:01. > :32:05.Ireland. Cian O'Connor, and he knows what it is to win this trophy,
:32:06. > :32:12.because he won in 2009, this is a horse called Super Socks and he will
:32:13. > :32:19.be jumping on an aeroplane to Florida, to spent the early part of
:32:20. > :32:21.the New Year on the circuit down there, top horse in quarantine
:32:22. > :32:31.already out there, he has shown some good form this week. You have two
:32:32. > :32:43.love this little horse, only nine, short, bouncy way of going, but
:32:44. > :32:45.absolutely powers into the air. Lovely feeling, bit of an
:32:46. > :32:55.experienced caught them out there. That is a shame. This is a horse to
:32:56. > :33:01.keep your eye on. Lovely one to watch, really tries his heart out.
:33:02. > :33:12.Ends on four faults. Was that just a bit of spring out of
:33:13. > :33:17.his step? Jumped an lucky, went right into the corner. He has jump
:33:18. > :33:22.in there six times, I am happy with him. Nice clean round, it has been
:33:23. > :33:27.trickier than you may have been hoping for. Must have been a great
:33:28. > :33:35.relief. Yes, everything has not just gone exactly to plan, jumped a few
:33:36. > :33:39.good rounds, clear in the World Cup, but hopefully we can finish it on a
:33:40. > :33:49.good note. Did not quite get what I wanted. Maybe not quite in tune with
:33:50. > :33:53.each other. Fantastic horse. Jumped fantastic all week. I have high
:33:54. > :34:00.hopes for him in the future. Wonderful horse. We have to get the
:34:01. > :34:06.jump offs a bit better. COMMENTATOR: 15 clear rounds, it is a jump off,
:34:07. > :34:10.starting with the Swedish jockey, Henrik von Eckermann, and after
:34:11. > :34:14.that, they come thick and fast. The previous winner, Pius Schwizer, the
:34:15. > :34:18.young Bertram Allen, Marcus Ehning, he has won it twice, Simon Delestre,
:34:19. > :34:26.he has never won it but he has good enough form. As we go on down...
:34:27. > :34:34.That is the first six in the jump off. Scott Brasher has not won this
:34:35. > :34:39.one yet, Laura Renwick has been looking at winning the big one all
:34:40. > :34:49.year. Holland have won this, but do not count out the Dutchman. -- Scott
:34:50. > :34:53.Brash. And the last three, could we finish off in style with Michael
:34:54. > :35:00.Whitaker? It is not beyond the bounds of possibility.
:35:01. > :35:05.CO-COMMENTATOR: The first fence of the jump off is what was the last
:35:06. > :35:14.fence, that is not cricket, no filler whatsoever! One or two riders
:35:15. > :35:24.will not be liking that. The first rider coming in. The first, Ludger
:35:25. > :35:29.Beerbaum, the first of Ludger Beerbaum's pupils, Henrik von
:35:30. > :35:35.Eckermann, very capable, first ago, in what is a serious jump off, very
:35:36. > :35:46.classy field. Quite a young horse. It'll be interesting to see how
:35:47. > :35:49.course looks. Only a couple of strides to get straight to did from
:35:50. > :35:59.the corner but he is perfectly clean over it, here we are, into the line.
:36:00. > :36:02.Down into that Ludger Crouch. He has cleared it, this is what was the
:36:03. > :36:10.combination, second and third element turning very tight back to
:36:11. > :36:13.the green oxer. Missed destroyed completely, tried to turn, did not
:36:14. > :36:27.know whether he wanted the long all the short but he has got to press
:36:28. > :36:33.on. Seven strides, down to the last. You get the feeling there is plenty
:36:34. > :36:37.of places down the fence time. Just the one rider from Switzerland,
:36:38. > :36:44.pretty good challenger, however. You have to say. Pius Schwizer, the man
:36:45. > :36:56.to try to lift it, for Switzerland. Ranked 29 in the world. And
:36:57. > :37:01.climbing. The interesting thing, watching it again, once he has
:37:02. > :37:05.jumped the blue double, the angle that the green oxer is set at is
:37:06. > :37:09.very hard for the horses, as they come around the corner, the fence is
:37:10. > :37:14.jumping now, that is the fence the horses will see, and it really takes
:37:15. > :37:20.their eye off, look at this, comes out over the double... Horse sees
:37:21. > :37:25.the orange one. And you have to say, no, you are jumping the green one.
:37:26. > :37:32.Clear, coming down the final line... He has gone! Flies to the last. He
:37:33. > :37:44.has four. Faster time. Brilliant time, took an
:37:45. > :37:50.extra chance to the second last. Swept around the corner, nearly
:37:51. > :37:59.jumped the fence. Ludger Beerbaum, twice winner of this Grand Prix.
:38:00. > :38:14.1994. And then, more recently, winning it this time.
:38:15. > :38:28.Look last... Does not go flat out, tends to go for the percentage
:38:29. > :38:36.round, but he's looking hungry. His horse really operating... Good
:38:37. > :38:45.turn... Still looking for the first clear.
:38:46. > :39:00.Has set the target, it is a good one, that will not be beaten easily.
:39:01. > :39:07.We really have got a blend of youth and experience which show-jumping is
:39:08. > :39:10.very much enjoying at the moment. Enormous experience of Ludger
:39:11. > :39:22.Beerbaum is now followed by a the audacious talent of 20-year-old
:39:23. > :39:27.Bertram Allen. 30 plus years in difference between this young man
:39:28. > :39:32.and Ludger but that will not worry Bertram because he is such an
:39:33. > :39:41.attacking rider, flying around these corners. Unbelievably quick, again,
:39:42. > :39:45.does not take one hesitation, absolutely motoring full. He is
:39:46. > :39:59.going to go miles into the lead. That shows what the young man is
:40:00. > :40:09.capable of, well! Taking the best part of two seconds out. Fearless
:40:10. > :40:14.riding. Marcus Ehning, giving quite a lot of help to Bertram Allen,
:40:15. > :40:20.because Bertram is based in Germany. He had to say, there is a lot of
:40:21. > :40:29.Bertram's riding that is very similar to this man, Marcus Ehning,
:40:30. > :40:33.twice winner of the Grand Prix here. Jin Shin and Lyndon Hoff, a horse
:40:34. > :40:48.getting a bigger and bigger reputation as the weeks go by.
:40:49. > :41:27.Delestre, loves galloping. Look at him going around this corner, if you
:41:28. > :41:33.are going to be Bertram Allen, you cannot... He has gone white! Coming
:41:34. > :41:44.to the ground, going very wide there, as well. -- he has gone wide.
:41:45. > :41:51.Not quite quick enough, here though, goes forth... This is going to take
:41:52. > :42:00.quite a round to get ahead of that Allen, no doubt about that.
:42:01. > :42:13.Now the first of five British challengers. The first being the
:42:14. > :42:19.world number one, Scott Brash. A very well bred nine-year old, this,
:42:20. > :42:24.in the ownership of Lady Harris Lady Kirkham. He will give it a go, I am
:42:25. > :42:29.certain, big question for the young horse. This is a very young horse.
:42:30. > :42:34.But we known Scott and he will not surrender. Try to go fast in the
:42:35. > :42:40.jump of the other night and had a run out, but he is taking every
:42:41. > :42:46.chance in the book, he's going for it. Again, sweeping around the
:42:47. > :42:53.corner. Just like Bertram Allen. That is exactly what happened. The
:42:54. > :43:03.other night, when he tried to go fast, it was just all too much for
:43:04. > :43:07.this lovely young horse, Hello Forever, could not hold it together
:43:08. > :43:10.mentally, Scott will be disappointed but even the world number one, when
:43:11. > :43:14.you are under that kind of pressure, you are taking it right to the
:43:15. > :43:20.limit. We'll have two settled there his horse, get his confidence back.
:43:21. > :43:25.Exactly that, it is the risk you take by going fast, so often you can
:43:26. > :43:30.do a lot of harm, and it will take several weeks to get it back, maybe
:43:31. > :43:36.not with the horse, pop the last couple offences nicely. It is a lot
:43:37. > :43:44.for a young nine-year old to do. Went for the win. Now, a lady who is
:43:45. > :43:49.so keen to win a big one, has been frustrated, cannot get into the top
:43:50. > :44:01.three, I have no doubt that she will give it 100%. Trying to beat the
:44:02. > :44:05.time set by Bertram Allen. By Laura's own admission, not the most
:44:06. > :44:08.naturally quickest moving horse. A little bit deliberate in the way
:44:09. > :44:14.that he goes, just the pace caught him out. Bertram Allen will be sat
:44:15. > :44:20.back there wondering whether he has done enough armour riders really
:44:21. > :44:32.struggling to get anywhere near that incredible time. What a pity, you
:44:33. > :44:38.have to give credit, got through to a lot of the jump ofs in the big
:44:39. > :44:48.glasses, still not quite able to nail the top three placings. -- big
:44:49. > :44:58.classes. Now the Dutchman comes to take on the challenge.
:44:59. > :45:10.He's taking a look around. At saying to himself, -- perhaps saying to
:45:11. > :45:17.himself, did Bertram Allen go that close, and the answer is, yes, he
:45:18. > :45:27.did, at speed. Fascinating to see these riders taking right to the
:45:28. > :45:30.limit. Maikel van der Vleuten, going for the Dutch, trying to take the
:45:31. > :45:44.Olympia Grand Prix. Very strong challenge.
:45:45. > :45:52.You'd think the way he has cantered around the corner, he is not quite
:45:53. > :45:57.going for the win. A young horse, and economical round, and he has had
:45:58. > :46:03.a fence, so Bertram Allen still way out in front. And we are now getting
:46:04. > :46:11.down towards the last few riders. There are six more. He goes into
:46:12. > :46:22.sixth. Well, there is one thing for sure,
:46:23. > :46:30.there is not only John Whitaker riding Argento but probably 9000
:46:31. > :46:35.people here in the arena. Can they left him quick enough and fast
:46:36. > :46:44.enough around this course? John would love to win this, for sure.
:46:45. > :46:50.So, John Whitaker going for the one that he would really want this week
:46:51. > :47:05.if he had a choice, the Olympia Grand Prix on his favourite horse,
:47:06. > :47:11.Argento. 30 .45 is the target. Come on, John, you are going to have to
:47:12. > :47:18.gallop around the corners. Oh, and he tried to take the chance, and it
:47:19. > :47:23.wasn't happening. Just that skip and Buck puts him off his stride. Top
:47:24. > :47:26.riders are making mistakes because the young man has written right to
:47:27. > :47:33.the limit, and they just don't know what to do to beat him. It is quite
:47:34. > :47:38.extraordinary. So, John Whitaker's chance has gone, and he is retiring,
:47:39. > :47:45.on the lovely Argento. It is not his night tonight. The chance was there,
:47:46. > :47:48.but it hasn't gone his way. There will still be more chances for this
:47:49. > :47:56.man, he isn't going to retire yet, no doubt about that. Not sure this
:47:57. > :48:04.horse has got the speed, but I could be proved wrong. We have all been
:48:05. > :48:07.proved wrong on many occasions in show-jumping, but the point about
:48:08. > :48:11.this horse is he tried to gallop him around a corner in the World Cup,
:48:12. > :48:15.and it really didn't work, so can he gallop around the corner to this
:48:16. > :48:21.next double? Because if you take a poll, you will be slower. And he has
:48:22. > :48:28.done exactly the same thing. Amazing. The horse doesn't like to
:48:29. > :48:33.gallop round those corners, he goes out of his comfort zone, and being a
:48:34. > :48:41.stallion, he will say, no thank you. Riders like Scott Brash, John
:48:42. > :48:44.Whitaker, Jur Vrieling, world-class riders, put under so much pressure
:48:45. > :48:52.by the young man who has flown around this course. He certainly
:48:53. > :49:02.has. We are now down to four left ago. Finishes on 12, 50 .20 five.
:49:03. > :49:10.The top of the leaderboard doesn't change. -- 50.2 five. We are down to
:49:11. > :49:19.the nitty-gritty now, that is the sure, as incomes Daniel Deusser. The
:49:20. > :49:25.horse should be ready to give it a whirl, but can he catch this
:49:26. > :49:32.flamboyant Irishman? Bertram Allen clear, Daniel Deusser for Germany.
:49:33. > :49:40.He looks to be a long way off the pace. Bertram Allen, you talk about
:49:41. > :49:46.young superstars in sport. To come out here, and he has near enough
:49:47. > :49:47.killed this class so far. And Daniel Deusser is a top, top rider, and he
:49:48. > :49:59.is basically just surrendering. Safely over the last, he has jumped
:50:00. > :50:05.clear, that puts him in fifth. And it will give him good money.
:50:06. > :50:24.And this is Hans Peter Dreyer -- Hans-Dieter Derher, not one normally
:50:25. > :50:30.to sit and watch the world go by. Lets hope he gets off to a flyer.
:50:31. > :50:37.Yes! Taking a chance there. This is a good start.
:50:38. > :50:47.Hans-Dieter gets very busy and makes it happen, but he has gone wide. Now
:50:48. > :50:52.he has some work to do. That has put him behind the clock, I would think.
:50:53. > :51:01.He is fighting all the way, he is not quite going to get there.
:51:02. > :51:12.He goes forth, and Simon Delestre drops down to fifth. Bertram Allen
:51:13. > :51:21.has made them all fly. It is the Whitaker challenge.
:51:22. > :51:30.Robert seems to have started off quite quietly. He is going to have
:51:31. > :51:37.to use his stride here. He is going. This is a deceptive horse with a lot
:51:38. > :51:42.of engine. And he has had one more there, that hesitation on the
:51:43. > :51:48.corner. He can't catch him, surely? I don't think so. They are roaring
:51:49. > :51:56.him on, but he's not going to get there. That puts it into sixth. It
:51:57. > :52:08.just shows you what standard of rider we are watching, because it
:52:09. > :52:17.was ADC round. -- a decent round. He has got his work cut out, no doubt.
:52:18. > :52:22.But he can be a magician, he has had plenty of white rabbits out of that
:52:23. > :52:27.hat. He will certainly have to pull another one now to get ahead of
:52:28. > :52:36.Bertram Allen. He is riding his wife Melissa's Viking. What can Michael
:52:37. > :52:39.Dugher is an Bertram Allen is the one they are chasing for the Olympia
:52:40. > :52:52.Grand Prix. He has already had one more stride
:52:53. > :53:02.there. He has got a lot to do. And again. He is slower here. He has
:53:03. > :53:08.just got too much to do now. I can't see him making it. They are him on,
:53:09. > :53:16.but he is going to be a little bit down. Great effort, goes second.
:53:17. > :53:21.Full marks to Michael, but Bertram Allen is the man who sent them all
:53:22. > :53:27.scuffling, but not able to catch him. That young man, we have seen
:53:28. > :53:30.tonight why this man is regarded as one of the most exciting young
:53:31. > :53:36.prospects there has been in show-jumping three years. Olympia
:53:37. > :53:42.has been gripping right to the end. The Grand Prix has gone to Ireland.
:53:43. > :53:49.The young Bertram Allen gave them all a lesson. Michael Whitaker
:53:50. > :53:55.chased but in vain. Ludger Beerbaum, one of the world's greats, finishes
:53:56. > :53:59.third with tiara. Marcus Ehning in the same league, he chased and
:54:00. > :54:05.finished fourth. Hans-Dieter Derher fifth, Simon Delestre sixth. They
:54:06. > :54:10.are all stars who have been left behind by Bertram Allen.
:54:11. > :54:18.What a list of names that this young Irish rider has beaten this evening.
:54:19. > :54:22.It has been breathtaking, it really has.
:54:23. > :54:31.Well, we are hearing some amazing news. Bertram Allen may be
:54:32. > :54:34.disqualified. Such a frustrating end to what has been a sensational
:54:35. > :54:40.evening of show-jumping. STUDIO: Bertram Allen was
:54:41. > :54:47.disqualified after a small amount of blood was found on the side of his
:54:48. > :54:54.horse. Michael Whitaker was promoted to first. I was devastated, the
:54:55. > :54:58.horse jumped two fantastically around scummy he tried his best, I
:54:59. > :55:16.tried my best, and we had a fantastic round. My spur slipped,
:55:17. > :55:22.and maybe that caused it, but that little bit of red, it wasn't even
:55:23. > :55:27.bleeding. There has to be something done about it. All of the riders,
:55:28. > :55:35.everyone here, they can't understand it at all. It would have been nicer
:55:36. > :55:43.to win it, but I suppose rules are rules. I would have been very happy
:55:44. > :55:49.with second. I am also a little bit with mixed feelings here, because
:55:50. > :55:53.the class, I was third, it was disappointing for Bertram to be
:55:54. > :55:56.disqualified. When you see the performers he did, and also
:55:57. > :56:03.afterwards, I have seen the horse, the mark was up on the hip. You ask
:56:04. > :56:07.yourself, do we need this? I really do believe we all have to sit down
:56:08. > :56:13.one more time and think if this current rule is the right one to
:56:14. > :56:19.protect the horse. I have my doubts. COMMENTATOR: So, there will be mixed
:56:20. > :56:23.feelings, because there isn't any doubt that the winner of the jumping
:56:24. > :56:25.we have seen tonight was Bertram Allen, but there are rules, and it
:56:26. > :56:33.is Michael Whitaker on Viking Allen, but there are rules, and it
:56:34. > :56:40.the declared winner of the 2015 Olympia Grand Prix. And there is a
:56:41. > :56:47.very frustrated Bertram Allen. But young enough very definitely to be
:56:48. > :56:57.back again. And here is the Olympia trophy. The trophy goes to Michael
:56:58. > :57:03.Whitaker on the Viking. What a controversial way to end.
:57:04. > :57:07.Andy Austin, can you understand Bertram Allen's frustration? Very
:57:08. > :57:10.much so. I really feel sorry for him, because he jumped the most
:57:11. > :57:17.incredible jump off round, one of the best I have ever seen in my
:57:18. > :57:22.life. He is desperately upset, and that is very understandable from my
:57:23. > :57:26.point of view. But there is a rule here, if there are marks on the
:57:27. > :57:30.little blood on the horse, they are looked at when they come out of the
:57:31. > :57:34.ring by the stewards, they refer to the grand jury, and they took the
:57:35. > :57:38.decision to disqualify the horse from the competition. Horse welfare,
:57:39. > :57:43.it is important, but it is very much a question of how you interpret that
:57:44. > :57:46.rule. And I think most of the riders, including Michael Whitaker
:57:47. > :57:51.who came second, actually felt that he was harshly dealt with. It is a
:57:52. > :57:55.disappointing way to end one class, but it is just one class. It has
:57:56. > :58:00.been a really strong Olympia this year. The ground has been brilliant,
:58:01. > :58:05.we have had technical courses, but they produced a lot of clear rounds,
:58:06. > :58:13.and amazing jump office. 15, 16, 17 horses in the big jump offs. The
:58:14. > :58:17.crowd have had some week. In terms of strength in depth in
:58:18. > :58:21.British show-jumping, from what you have seen here, how good is Great
:58:22. > :58:29.Britain placed heading into Rio? We are in a good lace, because with
:58:30. > :58:32.Scott Rasch, Hans-Dieter Derher, Jessica Mendoza here, and there are
:58:33. > :58:37.other horses coming through as well but we have seen coming through this
:58:38. > :58:44.week. I think we are in a good place. Highs and lows, that is sport
:58:45. > :58:48.for you. And pledging more coming up on Boxing Day. Football Focus at
:58:49. > :58:55.12.25 on BBC One, final score on the red button from 2:30pm. And in
:58:56. > :58:58.Scotland, Sportscene from 4:30pm, and of course Match Of The Day, one
:58:59. > :59:04.of the Boxing Day fixtures on BBC One. It is time to say goodbye from
:59:05. > :59:07.this iconic venue. I think it is fair to say that some people might
:59:08. > :59:12.be having a happier festive period than others. But from all of us here
:59:13. > :59:16.at BBC Sport, Merry Christmas, and goodbye.