2015 Highlights Equestrian: Olympia Horse Show


2015 Highlights

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Olympia is one of the best horse shows in the world, fabulous festive

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entertainment to boot, from Shetland ponies to dogs to the Household

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Cavalry, to top-class sport and plenty of fire, this place has it

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all. Throughout this programme we will be

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bringing you highlights of one of the Olympia's most prestigious

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show-jumping competition, the Grand Prix, Andy Austin is here, I'm

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delighted to say, we can see the competitors walking the course, what

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sets this apart from some of the others we have seen at Olympia? We

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have the World Cup at this show and the Grand Prix, those are the two

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major classes that all riders want to win, tonight, they will be trying

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really hard to win this one. We can see them having a good look at some

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of the fences. The courses there have been riding pretty well, rates

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news that a riders, perhaps less so for the course builders, will they

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do anything different, to try to raise it up a little for the final

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class at Olympia? Good point, the ground has been jumping so well,

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they floral than they wanted, but that is

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great because the ground have been entertained with exciting jump ups.

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I had a word with the course builder, he has said he has put in a

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fuse like the more difficult distances, not a massive course, but

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the things technically, it could be more difficult. -- jump ofs. We have

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got to look out for Ludger Beerbaum, the legend, quite weak, -- it has

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been a quiet week, but the Frenchman, he has been on fire as

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well, and Scott is in there as well, not with his top horse. I have got

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to pick who I think will win, and my pick is the Irishman, O'Connor, last

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to go, need has the draw, if he goes clear of the first round, then he

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will be the one last in the jump off. Interesting, and interesting to

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see how many riders are using the horses they had in the World Cup

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qualifier in this class today. Yes, Michael Whitaker, near is one of

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them, riding Viking, but he did not jump the horse the rest of the week.

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-- he is one of them. Real top riders, they know how to save a

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horse for the big-time. Is appointing that Ben Maher, last

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years winner in this class, has got to pull out. -- disappointing. He

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has a youngish horse, winning an Boomerang, but he decided it was a

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step too far, good decision but said not to see him out here. At about

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young riders, Bertram Allen has been having a tough week, Jessica

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Mendoza, very strong, winning it last year. What a team she was on in

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Aachen, and what a year it has been. On Friday night, she won a big jump

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of class, beating all of the top professionals. 19 years old. Winning

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in Aachen, for the Olympic qualification, tremendous. Bertram

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Allen, and characteristic to look to win in style in this way. But he

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does not have the top horse, these courses are not machines, they must

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have a rest. Bertram Allen is a very exciting young man. Some horses have

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been having a well-deserved break, but not Andy Austin! When he leaves

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here, he will be heading up to the commentary booth to join Mike

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Tucker. COMMENTATOR: Good evening from the grand Hall in Olympia, near

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we go, with that start list, some big names there are, Pius Schwizer,

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he has done well consistently, William Whitaker has had a couple of

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wins, Ludger Beerbaum has not yet hit the big-time but it not be

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unusual for him to come good. Bertram Allen, by his very high

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standards, he has not had a big show. Certainly, Jessica Mendoza

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has, she has shown just what she is capable of. But Simon Delestre is

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still the man who has Bromley had more international form in the last

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few weeks than anyone here. Laura Renwick has shown some good form, as

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has the Dutchman. Peter Drayer, another, all of them big names. --

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Hanns Peter Dreyer. Michael Whitaker went so well in the World Cup, and

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O'Connor winning a very good speed class in the last 24 hours.

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Getting under way with the nine-year-old, by Staccato Gold.

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He will give us a little indication of what this course may have in

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store. CO-COMMENTATOR: Only nine years old but a very powerful horse,

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with huge amount of strife. We'll start to get quite strong towards

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the end of the course. Henrik himself is a very tall and powerful

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rider. Two strides and then once dried out over the big box -- one

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stride out over the big oxer. Five awkward strides. Around to the

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little style, right by the end of the arena, so hard to jump. --

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stile. That triple bar is one metre 95. He is through, into the jump

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off. What a way to start for a good competition, well inside the time,

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that time, remember, 62 seconds. That is plenty. Pius Schwizer, he is

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definitely on form, slipped back in the rankings when he sold his top

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string, but he has begun to put a very good team together, this is one

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of them, PSG capital at a future, and he has been ridden very

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successfully by the very young Swiss rider, Peter Jukes. -- Markus Fuchs.

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This horse was very disappointing in the World Cup, with Martin Fuchs,

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looks like a sensational Grand Prix horse. Usually he can write any

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horse, but these two have not quite clicked. Very lucky gamma

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combination. One of those positive determined characters, he will still

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be determined to jump clear around here. Starting an awful lot better

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than in the World Cup, the riders have to attack the triple bar,

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floaty five strides. Down to the huge double. Good round... Jumped

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the last... Your comment that he did not jump a good World Cup round was

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bound to put that on the cards! That is a good clear around, so good at

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riding different horses. William Whitaker, Fandango. Finished fifth

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in the King George fifth Gold Cup at Royal International horse show,

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Hickstead. Good Grand Prix recently, and has had a good win here. That

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will give him a lot of confidence. William Whitaker getting under way

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with Fandango. Well, that was not just unlucky, that was a very bad

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mistake, towards the entrance, it is quite square, but he would like to

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think that at this level that would be a relatively straightforward

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fence. William is not going to win this competition, but we like to

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sing his praises. Watching him over the last two or three years, he

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really does stand out as an exceptional talent.

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Just the one clear around... Sorry, two clear rounds, but still get

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prize money, you have got to take it seriously, get it going, going

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south, as he can Duke, falling apart down the last line full of -- as he

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can do. Fandango getting quite tense there. Now, Ludger Beerbaum,

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Germany, it has been a big winner for him,

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this horse, as yet without a major win at Olympia, this year, in normal

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time, quite unusual. This horse has almost too much easy ability and can

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sometimes be a bit casual. In the World Cup, one slightly lazy jump.

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Clipped a back rail. You get the feeling that Ludger Beerbaum is

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going to be pretty hungry tonight. A mayor with a little bit of a

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character, putting her ears back. Showing her temperament. -- mare.

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Very capable of jumping the world's most difficult courses. Very good

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record of jumping mares, Ludger Beerbaum, including Gladys. Not

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everybody's choice, but definitely for a Ludger Beerbaum. He has done

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it, he is clear, that is a very good round from the Gubbio bum. -- that

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is a very good round for Ludger Beerbaum.

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Now, the young Irishman... He has been so successful, one tends to

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think that he will jump a clear round every time, but that has not

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proven the case here at Olympia so far, Bertram Allen, riding a horse

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from the quaint and starred in Buckinghamshire, and it is quiet and

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easy, this horse, wrote in this team for a couple of seasons at least,

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and has been a good winner with Bertram, actually. Another

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tremendous season. He has moved up the world rankings to be six, just

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20 years old. -- Quainton Stud. We have to keep remembering how young

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he is, he seems to have been around for a long time, but he has won so

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many Grand Prixs in such a short span of time, he has real belief in

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his in his own ability, and as you have seen with Molly Malone and

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others, he instilled that into his horses, and that is a gift this

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young horseman has, just encouraging horses and giving them that little

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bit more. -- Grands Prix. It has put in the extra stride, good

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decision with the shorts riding horse. What a round. Class round,

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beautifully written, making it number four. Switzerland, Sweden,

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Germany and Ireland. We have plenty of riders to sing their places, and

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you will certainly hear praises sung hire of this man. -- sing their

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praises. He won this Grand Prix in 2012 with Sabrina. And, in fact,

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Germany have a very good track record, Markus also won it back in

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2004, Sandra Boy. Marcus Ehning is set to go, this is his top up and

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coming horse at the moment. He has really shown that he is in form.

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Some very good placings this week. -- Sandro Boy. This young horse has

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an enormous amount of ability, he will have to sit quietly, middle of

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the combination, he has nailed that. Beautiful type of horse, future

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engine. But of course that Markus loves to ride.

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He is holding an five strides. Made it ridiculously easy, very good

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indeed. Marcus Ehning joins the list. And look at Ludger Beerbaum,

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he has also won this title. Williamson has had a very good show.

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Now, out in Deauville and enjoying his new base out there and this

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horse going very well for him, he won a team bronze medal in the

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Madrid European Championships. 2011, that was. The horse then went to

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Edwina Alexandra, did not quite work out for her. Took a little bit to

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get it back to the top and get it back to his ways and means. But it

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is certainly now a very good horse in his hands, gone well this week.

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It is interesting with Titus, 15 years old... For some horses, they

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lose a bit of energy and power but Titus has so much energy and power,

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you can imagine him jumping when he is 18. Gets caught out in the middle

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of the combination. Going to have to hold him back here.

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Brilliantly ridden. Well done. He is definitely going to take some good

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year rose back to Deauville after this year. He has been placed on a

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number of occasions. Now, Jessica Mendoza. Her top horse has shown

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exactly what they can do in big indoor competitions at this very

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show, but this is a new horse at this level, Sam de Bacon, nine years

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old, a French bred horse. She has really made her mark since the

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European Championships when she was catapulted into the team. She made

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that decision look very good indeed. Jessica Mendoza famously doing

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brilliant things this year with Spirit T. You can see that this

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young horse has got a little bit wound up here in this atmosphere,

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but he is a big horse here with a lot of ability, and the one thing

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Jess has to do is build up a string of horses behind Spirit. The girl

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with a lot of talent and a string of horses behind her, she will be good

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for Britain in the future. It is not possible as an international rider

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these days to have just one horse. Now it is the Frenchman Simon

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Delestre, ranked four in the world, he has had a fantastic two months.

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He finished brilliantly in Aachen. He has done exactly what we were

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talking about Jessica Mendoza doing. He is no newcomer by any means but

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he now has a team of horses that really seem to be giving him the

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back-up and launching him right up the rankings. The point you are

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making their is it is the horses these riders need. There are a lot

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of early and riders out there that could do with two or three Grand

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Prix horses added to their string. But this man, strength and depth. He

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is lucky at the triple bar but has kept his balance, just the last

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fence. A very good clear round. France are in the party.

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Incomes Britain's Star, the world number one, Scott Rasch. -- Brash.

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He won those three Grand Prix, never been done before, on Hello Sanctos.

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Again, trying to put together a team of horses to back-up Hello Sanctos,

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so that he can save him from time to time, and with the wonderful owners,

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Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham, who supported him to that brilliant gold

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medal that he was an important part of the London.

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This one atypical for pleasure horse, he goes with his head up.

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This is a horse Scott thinks a lot of, and he is only nine years old,

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so it is a big ask to jump the Grand Prix here. This is the sort of horse

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that will gradually improve year-on-year, you can see the amount

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of power and scope he has got. Down to the last. A clear round for

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Britain. We are at the party. Seven clears, and six Nations involved.

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Laura Renwick, a little frustrated that this horse in particular has

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been jumping so well, and she's been so near yet so far. Gone very well

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yesterday in the World Cup, and still couldn't feature in the real

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top half-dozen. Certainly this is a horse we have been watching very

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closely with a view to the British teams coming up in the next year or

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so. Only nine, a horse with obvious power and scope, by the lovely

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stallion Tangelos. This is a horse was just an extra little bit of

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jump. Just twisted in the air, finding it a little bit hard going

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over the fence. Riding with luck at the last fence.

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Britain have got two! Laura Renwick deserves to be there tonight, she

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has been banging on the door but has not gone any act. Tonight, who

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knows? John Whitaker, what a week he has had. Leading rider of the show,

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presented this morning. Not sure he would be at this point of time, if

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he could get good placing here, he could end up lead rider. Riding this

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wonderful horse by Arko, Argento. When asked what he could want for

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his Christmas list, he said, I'm perfect. He doesn't want anything.

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He has been nearly perfect this week. The interesting thing with

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Argento is he has been looking a bit too fresh this week. He is a cheeky

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character, typical stallion, he likes to have his say about the

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proceedings. You can see their adding up extra

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strides, he hasn't much of a stride, this horse, and you always looked at

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where he can. So after the triple bar, expect to see him put an extra

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stride in. And he has lost his rhythm on the corner. Yes, he gets

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the six, but that works so well. John knows what he's doing. Well

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done, John Whitaker. It is our 10th clear, and suddenly Britain, from

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having none, have now got a very good three.

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He has really produced the goods when it matters of as far as the

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world and the Europeans. He is not necessarily the biggest winner

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against the clock, but when it is about the clear rounds, he is always

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there, so Jur Vrieling more than capable of giving the Netherlands a

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second clear round. They have got Maikel van der Vleuten clear. This

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is a true championship type horse, all of the power and scope. He

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sometimes looks a little deliberate the way he goes. Jur Vrieling a very

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strong, effective rider. Safely home, Holland have got two,

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and it really is building into an exciting affair, as we thought it

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would, for this 100,000 euros Olympia Grand Prix. No other term of

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Daniel Deusser. He is riding to Largo, riding for Germany. -- riding

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Toulago. He hasn't hit the big-time here yet, but a man with all the

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class to win something pretty special.

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Looking comfortable so far. A tall man on a huge horse. Just cruising

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down these distances. He did write that with huge

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confidence, didn't he? Down that final line, he attacked it and made

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it, but you would have thought a big horse like that might have made up

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ground and then found himself in trouble, but not Daniel Deusser and

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Toulago. He has had some big wins in his

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career, but he is now stringing them together, and as we have said with

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some other riders, they are putting strings of horses together. He has

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jumped well in other Grand Prix lately. Hans-Dieter Derher is riding

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Colore, and they have been very consistent this week. He is great

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value to watch, an exciting ride, his horses are always bouncing

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around all over the place. Hans-Dieter Derher sometimes seems

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to have his reins up around his ears. The horses love him but they

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really try for him. And he is another man that we really

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want to see in the jump off. Oh, he is a long way off the triple bar! He

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is going to have to work hard to keep balanced. He sat backwards and

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he was very lucky. My word. I think he rattled the last four fence is

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quite hard, and they all stayed, so there we are. Clear round number 13,

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not unlucky to Hans-Dieter Derher, very lucky!

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As in comes Robert Whitaker with Catwalk, for me, his best horse. He

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started well at the Royal Wintour is show, and has gone on jumping big

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rounds in big competitions all summer. A little time off through

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his own health after the horse of the year show, but tells me he is

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back to form. He has had several good placings, including this horse,

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Catwalk. He is the fourth last ago, 13 clear rounds so far, one of them

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being his dad. This horse couldn't be more different to dad's halls,

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Argento. This is a horse with a big stride, all the ability. If Robert

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can keep him focused, he can jump anything.

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So, he will jump the triple bar and keep moving. He gets the five

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strides quite easily. Lovely round! So, Britain now have got four

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through. Michael Whitaker now, what a jockey

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he is. A key round in that European Championship at Aachen to get the

:30:17.:30:21.

qualification for Britain. He has put in some very good rounds here,

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including this horse yesterday in the World Cup. A brilliant

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performance. His wife's horse, Viking. Brilliant horse. A clear

:30:34.:30:40.

round now would give him a really good draw for that jump off, and we

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have got 14 at the moment, five of them for Britain.

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That was a very lucky moment there are, he needs to sit up in the

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middle of his combination. Have you got radiocommunication? LAUGHTER

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I think that Michael knows what he's doing! He has saved the horse for

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the end of the week, jumping clear in one of the big classes. Did not

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jump off. Went really well in the World Cup. Try to keep Viking ready

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for this last class. Sitting up for the extra stride.

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Classic, that gives Britain and clear around. We have the numbers

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there, can we keep the opposition at bay? The last one to go, for

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Ireland. Cian O'Connor, and he knows what it is to win this trophy,

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because he won in 2009, this is a horse called Super Socks and he will

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be jumping on an aeroplane to Florida, to spent the early part of

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the New Year on the circuit down there, top horse in quarantine

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already out there, he has shown some good form this week. You have two

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love this little horse, only nine, short, bouncy way of going, but

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absolutely powers into the air. Lovely feeling, bit of an

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experienced caught them out there. That is a shame. This is a horse to

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keep your eye on. Lovely one to watch, really tries his heart out.

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Ends on four faults. Was that just a bit of spring out of

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his step? Jumped an lucky, went right into the corner. He has jump

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in there six times, I am happy with him. Nice clean round, it has been

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trickier than you may have been hoping for. Must have been a great

:33:23.:33:27.

relief. Yes, everything has not just gone exactly to plan, jumped a few

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good rounds, clear in the World Cup, but hopefully we can finish it on a

:33:36.:33:39.

good note. Did not quite get what I wanted. Maybe not quite in tune with

:33:40.:33:49.

each other. Fantastic horse. Jumped fantastic all week. I have high

:33:50.:33:53.

hopes for him in the future. Wonderful horse. We have to get the

:33:54.:34:00.

jump offs a bit better. COMMENTATOR: 15 clear rounds, it is a jump off,

:34:01.:34:06.

starting with the Swedish jockey, Henrik von Eckermann, and after

:34:07.:34:10.

that, they come thick and fast. The previous winner, Pius Schwizer, the

:34:11.:34:14.

young Bertram Allen, Marcus Ehning, he has won it twice, Simon Delestre,

:34:15.:34:18.

he has never won it but he has good enough form. As we go on down...

:34:19.:34:26.

That is the first six in the jump off. Scott Brasher has not won this

:34:27.:34:34.

one yet, Laura Renwick has been looking at winning the big one all

:34:35.:34:39.

year. Holland have won this, but do not count out the Dutchman. -- Scott

:34:40.:34:49.

Brash. And the last three, could we finish off in style with Michael

:34:50.:34:53.

Whitaker? It is not beyond the bounds of possibility.

:34:54.:35:00.

CO-COMMENTATOR: The first fence of the jump off is what was the last

:35:01.:35:05.

fence, that is not cricket, no filler whatsoever! One or two riders

:35:06.:35:14.

will not be liking that. The first rider coming in. The first, Ludger

:35:15.:35:24.

Beerbaum, the first of Ludger Beerbaum's pupils, Henrik von

:35:25.:35:29.

Eckermann, very capable, first ago, in what is a serious jump off, very

:35:30.:35:35.

classy field. Quite a young horse. It'll be interesting to see how

:35:36.:35:46.

course looks. Only a couple of strides to get straight to did from

:35:47.:35:49.

the corner but he is perfectly clean over it, here we are, into the line.

:35:50.:35:59.

Down into that Ludger Crouch. He has cleared it, this is what was the

:36:00.:36:02.

combination, second and third element turning very tight back to

:36:03.:36:10.

the green oxer. Missed destroyed completely, tried to turn, did not

:36:11.:36:13.

know whether he wanted the long all the short but he has got to press

:36:14.:36:27.

on. Seven strides, down to the last. You get the feeling there is plenty

:36:28.:36:33.

of places down the fence time. Just the one rider from Switzerland,

:36:34.:36:37.

pretty good challenger, however. You have to say. Pius Schwizer, the man

:36:38.:36:44.

to try to lift it, for Switzerland. Ranked 29 in the world. And

:36:45.:36:56.

climbing. The interesting thing, watching it again, once he has

:36:57.:37:01.

jumped the blue double, the angle that the green oxer is set at is

:37:02.:37:05.

very hard for the horses, as they come around the corner, the fence is

:37:06.:37:09.

jumping now, that is the fence the horses will see, and it really takes

:37:10.:37:14.

their eye off, look at this, comes out over the double... Horse sees

:37:15.:37:20.

the orange one. And you have to say, no, you are jumping the green one.

:37:21.:37:25.

Clear, coming down the final line... He has gone! Flies to the last. He

:37:26.:37:32.

has four. Faster time. Brilliant time, took an

:37:33.:37:44.

extra chance to the second last. Swept around the corner, nearly

:37:45.:37:50.

jumped the fence. Ludger Beerbaum, twice winner of this Grand Prix.

:37:51.:37:59.

1994. And then, more recently, winning it this time.

:38:00.:38:14.

Look last... Does not go flat out, tends to go for the percentage

:38:15.:38:28.

round, but he's looking hungry. His horse really operating... Good

:38:29.:38:36.

turn... Still looking for the first clear.

:38:37.:38:45.

Has set the target, it is a good one, that will not be beaten easily.

:38:46.:39:00.

We really have got a blend of youth and experience which show-jumping is

:39:01.:39:07.

very much enjoying at the moment. Enormous experience of Ludger

:39:08.:39:10.

Beerbaum is now followed by a the audacious talent of 20-year-old

:39:11.:39:22.

Bertram Allen. 30 plus years in difference between this young man

:39:23.:39:27.

and Ludger but that will not worry Bertram because he is such an

:39:28.:39:32.

attacking rider, flying around these corners. Unbelievably quick, again,

:39:33.:39:41.

does not take one hesitation, absolutely motoring full. He is

:39:42.:39:45.

going to go miles into the lead. That shows what the young man is

:39:46.:39:59.

capable of, well! Taking the best part of two seconds out. Fearless

:40:00.:40:09.

riding. Marcus Ehning, giving quite a lot of help to Bertram Allen,

:40:10.:40:14.

because Bertram is based in Germany. He had to say, there is a lot of

:40:15.:40:20.

Bertram's riding that is very similar to this man, Marcus Ehning,

:40:21.:40:29.

twice winner of the Grand Prix here. Jin Shin and Lyndon Hoff, a horse

:40:30.:40:33.

getting a bigger and bigger reputation as the weeks go by.

:40:34.:40:48.

Delestre, loves galloping. Look at him going around this corner, if you

:40:49.:41:27.

are going to be Bertram Allen, you cannot... He has gone white! Coming

:41:28.:41:33.

to the ground, going very wide there, as well. -- he has gone wide.

:41:34.:41:44.

Not quite quick enough, here though, goes forth... This is going to take

:41:45.:41:51.

quite a round to get ahead of that Allen, no doubt about that.

:41:52.:42:00.

Now the first of five British challengers. The first being the

:42:01.:42:13.

world number one, Scott Brash. A very well bred nine-year old, this,

:42:14.:42:19.

in the ownership of Lady Harris Lady Kirkham. He will give it a go, I am

:42:20.:42:24.

certain, big question for the young horse. This is a very young horse.

:42:25.:42:29.

But we known Scott and he will not surrender. Try to go fast in the

:42:30.:42:34.

jump of the other night and had a run out, but he is taking every

:42:35.:42:40.

chance in the book, he's going for it. Again, sweeping around the

:42:41.:42:46.

corner. Just like Bertram Allen. That is exactly what happened. The

:42:47.:42:53.

other night, when he tried to go fast, it was just all too much for

:42:54.:43:03.

this lovely young horse, Hello Forever, could not hold it together

:43:04.:43:07.

mentally, Scott will be disappointed but even the world number one, when

:43:08.:43:10.

you are under that kind of pressure, you are taking it right to the

:43:11.:43:14.

limit. We'll have two settled there his horse, get his confidence back.

:43:15.:43:20.

Exactly that, it is the risk you take by going fast, so often you can

:43:21.:43:25.

do a lot of harm, and it will take several weeks to get it back, maybe

:43:26.:43:30.

not with the horse, pop the last couple offences nicely. It is a lot

:43:31.:43:36.

for a young nine-year old to do. Went for the win. Now, a lady who is

:43:37.:43:44.

so keen to win a big one, has been frustrated, cannot get into the top

:43:45.:43:49.

three, I have no doubt that she will give it 100%. Trying to beat the

:43:50.:44:01.

time set by Bertram Allen. By Laura's own admission, not the most

:44:02.:44:05.

naturally quickest moving horse. A little bit deliberate in the way

:44:06.:44:08.

that he goes, just the pace caught him out. Bertram Allen will be sat

:44:09.:44:14.

back there wondering whether he has done enough armour riders really

:44:15.:44:20.

struggling to get anywhere near that incredible time. What a pity, you

:44:21.:44:32.

have to give credit, got through to a lot of the jump ofs in the big

:44:33.:44:38.

glasses, still not quite able to nail the top three placings. -- big

:44:39.:44:48.

classes. Now the Dutchman comes to take on the challenge.

:44:49.:44:58.

He's taking a look around. At saying to himself, -- perhaps saying to

:44:59.:45:10.

himself, did Bertram Allen go that close, and the answer is, yes, he

:45:11.:45:17.

did, at speed. Fascinating to see these riders taking right to the

:45:18.:45:27.

limit. Maikel van der Vleuten, going for the Dutch, trying to take the

:45:28.:45:30.

Olympia Grand Prix. Very strong challenge.

:45:31.:45:44.

You'd think the way he has cantered around the corner, he is not quite

:45:45.:45:52.

going for the win. A young horse, and economical round, and he has had

:45:53.:45:57.

a fence, so Bertram Allen still way out in front. And we are now getting

:45:58.:46:03.

down towards the last few riders. There are six more. He goes into

:46:04.:46:11.

sixth. Well, there is one thing for sure,

:46:12.:46:22.

there is not only John Whitaker riding Argento but probably 9000

:46:23.:46:30.

people here in the arena. Can they left him quick enough and fast

:46:31.:46:35.

enough around this course? John would love to win this, for sure.

:46:36.:46:44.

So, John Whitaker going for the one that he would really want this week

:46:45.:46:50.

if he had a choice, the Olympia Grand Prix on his favourite horse,

:46:51.:47:05.

Argento. 30 .45 is the target. Come on, John, you are going to have to

:47:06.:47:11.

gallop around the corners. Oh, and he tried to take the chance, and it

:47:12.:47:18.

wasn't happening. Just that skip and Buck puts him off his stride. Top

:47:19.:47:23.

riders are making mistakes because the young man has written right to

:47:24.:47:26.

the limit, and they just don't know what to do to beat him. It is quite

:47:27.:47:33.

extraordinary. So, John Whitaker's chance has gone, and he is retiring,

:47:34.:47:38.

on the lovely Argento. It is not his night tonight. The chance was there,

:47:39.:47:45.

but it hasn't gone his way. There will still be more chances for this

:47:46.:47:48.

man, he isn't going to retire yet, no doubt about that. Not sure this

:47:49.:47:56.

horse has got the speed, but I could be proved wrong. We have all been

:47:57.:48:04.

proved wrong on many occasions in show-jumping, but the point about

:48:05.:48:07.

this horse is he tried to gallop him around a corner in the World Cup,

:48:08.:48:11.

and it really didn't work, so can he gallop around the corner to this

:48:12.:48:15.

next double? Because if you take a poll, you will be slower. And he has

:48:16.:48:21.

done exactly the same thing. Amazing. The horse doesn't like to

:48:22.:48:28.

gallop round those corners, he goes out of his comfort zone, and being a

:48:29.:48:33.

stallion, he will say, no thank you. Riders like Scott Brash, John

:48:34.:48:41.

Whitaker, Jur Vrieling, world-class riders, put under so much pressure

:48:42.:48:44.

by the young man who has flown around this course. He certainly

:48:45.:48:52.

has. We are now down to four left ago. Finishes on 12, 50 .20 five.

:48:53.:49:02.

The top of the leaderboard doesn't change. -- 50.2 five. We are down to

:49:03.:49:10.

the nitty-gritty now, that is the sure, as incomes Daniel Deusser. The

:49:11.:49:19.

horse should be ready to give it a whirl, but can he catch this

:49:20.:49:25.

flamboyant Irishman? Bertram Allen clear, Daniel Deusser for Germany.

:49:26.:49:32.

He looks to be a long way off the pace. Bertram Allen, you talk about

:49:33.:49:40.

young superstars in sport. To come out here, and he has near enough

:49:41.:49:46.

killed this class so far. And Daniel Deusser is a top, top rider, and he

:49:47.:49:47.

is basically just surrendering. Safely over the last, he has jumped

:49:48.:49:59.

clear, that puts him in fifth. And it will give him good money.

:50:00.:50:05.

And this is Hans Peter Dreyer -- Hans-Dieter Derher, not one normally

:50:06.:50:24.

to sit and watch the world go by. Lets hope he gets off to a flyer.

:50:25.:50:30.

Yes! Taking a chance there. This is a good start.

:50:31.:50:37.

Hans-Dieter gets very busy and makes it happen, but he has gone wide. Now

:50:38.:50:47.

he has some work to do. That has put him behind the clock, I would think.

:50:48.:50:52.

He is fighting all the way, he is not quite going to get there.

:50:53.:51:01.

He goes forth, and Simon Delestre drops down to fifth. Bertram Allen

:51:02.:51:12.

has made them all fly. It is the Whitaker challenge.

:51:13.:51:21.

Robert seems to have started off quite quietly. He is going to have

:51:22.:51:30.

to use his stride here. He is going. This is a deceptive horse with a lot

:51:31.:51:37.

of engine. And he has had one more there, that hesitation on the

:51:38.:51:42.

corner. He can't catch him, surely? I don't think so. They are roaring

:51:43.:51:48.

him on, but he's not going to get there. That puts it into sixth. It

:51:49.:51:56.

just shows you what standard of rider we are watching, because it

:51:57.:52:08.

was ADC round. -- a decent round. He has got his work cut out, no doubt.

:52:09.:52:17.

But he can be a magician, he has had plenty of white rabbits out of that

:52:18.:52:22.

hat. He will certainly have to pull another one now to get ahead of

:52:23.:52:27.

Bertram Allen. He is riding his wife Melissa's Viking. What can Michael

:52:28.:52:36.

Dugher is an Bertram Allen is the one they are chasing for the Olympia

:52:37.:52:39.

Grand Prix. He has already had one more stride

:52:40.:52:52.

there. He has got a lot to do. And again. He is slower here. He has

:52:53.:53:02.

just got too much to do now. I can't see him making it. They are him on,

:53:03.:53:08.

but he is going to be a little bit down. Great effort, goes second.

:53:09.:53:16.

Full marks to Michael, but Bertram Allen is the man who sent them all

:53:17.:53:21.

scuffling, but not able to catch him. That young man, we have seen

:53:22.:53:27.

tonight why this man is regarded as one of the most exciting young

:53:28.:53:30.

prospects there has been in show-jumping three years. Olympia

:53:31.:53:36.

has been gripping right to the end. The Grand Prix has gone to Ireland.

:53:37.:53:42.

The young Bertram Allen gave them all a lesson. Michael Whitaker

:53:43.:53:49.

chased but in vain. Ludger Beerbaum, one of the world's greats, finishes

:53:50.:53:55.

third with tiara. Marcus Ehning in the same league, he chased and

:53:56.:53:59.

finished fourth. Hans-Dieter Derher fifth, Simon Delestre sixth. They

:54:00.:54:05.

are all stars who have been left behind by Bertram Allen.

:54:06.:54:10.

What a list of names that this young Irish rider has beaten this evening.

:54:11.:54:18.

It has been breathtaking, it really has.

:54:19.:54:22.

Well, we are hearing some amazing news. Bertram Allen may be

:54:23.:54:31.

disqualified. Such a frustrating end to what has been a sensational

:54:32.:54:34.

evening of show-jumping. STUDIO: Bertram Allen was

:54:35.:54:40.

disqualified after a small amount of blood was found on the side of his

:54:41.:54:47.

horse. Michael Whitaker was promoted to first. I was devastated, the

:54:48.:54:54.

horse jumped two fantastically around scummy he tried his best, I

:54:55.:54:58.

tried my best, and we had a fantastic round. My spur slipped,

:54:59.:55:16.

and maybe that caused it, but that little bit of red, it wasn't even

:55:17.:55:22.

bleeding. There has to be something done about it. All of the riders,

:55:23.:55:27.

everyone here, they can't understand it at all. It would have been nicer

:55:28.:55:35.

to win it, but I suppose rules are rules. I would have been very happy

:55:36.:55:43.

with second. I am also a little bit with mixed feelings here, because

:55:44.:55:49.

the class, I was third, it was disappointing for Bertram to be

:55:50.:55:53.

disqualified. When you see the performers he did, and also

:55:54.:55:56.

afterwards, I have seen the horse, the mark was up on the hip. You ask

:55:57.:56:03.

yourself, do we need this? I really do believe we all have to sit down

:56:04.:56:07.

one more time and think if this current rule is the right one to

:56:08.:56:13.

protect the horse. I have my doubts. COMMENTATOR: So, there will be mixed

:56:14.:56:19.

feelings, because there isn't any doubt that the winner of the jumping

:56:20.:56:23.

we have seen tonight was Bertram Allen, but there are rules, and it

:56:24.:56:25.

is Michael Whitaker on Viking Allen, but there are rules, and it

:56:26.:56:33.

the declared winner of the 2015 Olympia Grand Prix. And there is a

:56:34.:56:40.

very frustrated Bertram Allen. But young enough very definitely to be

:56:41.:56:47.

back again. And here is the Olympia trophy. The trophy goes to Michael

:56:48.:56:57.

Whitaker on the Viking. What a controversial way to end.

:56:58.:57:03.

Andy Austin, can you understand Bertram Allen's frustration? Very

:57:04.:57:07.

much so. I really feel sorry for him, because he jumped the most

:57:08.:57:10.

incredible jump off round, one of the best I have ever seen in my

:57:11.:57:17.

life. He is desperately upset, and that is very understandable from my

:57:18.:57:22.

point of view. But there is a rule here, if there are marks on the

:57:23.:57:26.

little blood on the horse, they are looked at when they come out of the

:57:27.:57:30.

ring by the stewards, they refer to the grand jury, and they took the

:57:31.:57:34.

decision to disqualify the horse from the competition. Horse welfare,

:57:35.:57:38.

it is important, but it is very much a question of how you interpret that

:57:39.:57:43.

rule. And I think most of the riders, including Michael Whitaker

:57:44.:57:46.

who came second, actually felt that he was harshly dealt with. It is a

:57:47.:57:51.

disappointing way to end one class, but it is just one class. It has

:57:52.:57:55.

been a really strong Olympia this year. The ground has been brilliant,

:57:56.:58:00.

we have had technical courses, but they produced a lot of clear rounds,

:58:01.:58:05.

and amazing jump office. 15, 16, 17 horses in the big jump offs. The

:58:06.:58:13.

crowd have had some week. In terms of strength in depth in

:58:14.:58:17.

British show-jumping, from what you have seen here, how good is Great

:58:18.:58:21.

Britain placed heading into Rio? We are in a good lace, because with

:58:22.:58:29.

Scott Rasch, Hans-Dieter Derher, Jessica Mendoza here, and there are

:58:30.:58:32.

other horses coming through as well but we have seen coming through this

:58:33.:58:37.

week. I think we are in a good place. Highs and lows, that is sport

:58:38.:58:44.

for you. And pledging more coming up on Boxing Day. Football Focus at

:58:45.:58:48.

12.25 on BBC One, final score on the red button from 2:30pm. And in

:58:49.:58:55.

Scotland, Sportscene from 4:30pm, and of course Match Of The Day, one

:58:56.:58:58.

of the Boxing Day fixtures on BBC One. It is time to say goodbye from

:58:59.:59:04.

this iconic venue. I think it is fair to say that some people might

:59:05.:59:07.

be having a happier festive period than others. But from all of us here

:59:08.:59:12.

at BBC Sport, Merry Christmas, and goodbye.

:59:13.:59:16.

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