Cian O’Connor & Callisto. Ph. ©GHPC
This weekend is Irishman Cian O’Connor’s first appearance as a guest at the Glock Horse Performance Center CSI5* in Treffen, Austria and one thing is for sure: it could scarcely have gone better for him. The London 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, having already taken victory in the opening class of the CSI5* GLOCK’s Perfection Tour on Thursday, today followed up in the 62,000 1.55m ranking class with a second win.
Aboard the 10-year-old KWPN gelding Callisto (Quasimodo x Jokinal de Bornival) he went first out in the jumpofff, starter and set a benchmark with a penalty-free 40.98 seconds. Despite a jumpoff of 12, nobody managed to beat him.
Responding to the question as to what he might anticipate in Sunday’s GLOCK’s 5* Grand Prix, his answer was matter-of-fact: “You have to take each test as it comes; for now I’ll start by enjoying this victory,” he said. “Tomorrow I’ll be riding a different horse, so we’ll just have to see what the possibilities are for me.”
O’Connor also had praise for the course designer, Franz Madl: “He does a superb job here. Today the big challenges were the wide oxers and choice of line. I didn’t think I would win, because twelve good people were still to come after me. But, following an injury, I’ve been working on my fitness over the last few months, changed my lifestyle and it’s really paid off. I don’t think I’ve ever before had so many good results in just one month.”
Sydney Olympic-winner and reigning World and European Champion Jeroen Dubbledam of The Netherlands took his KWPN gelding, Sfn Zenith, in with a slightly lower pace, but nevertheless secured a magnificent 2nd place in 43.13 seconds. Third place in the CSI5* GLOCK’s Perfection Tour also went to an Olympic medallist. Following his victory in Friday’s Gaston Glock’s Championat, the individual silver-winner at Rio 2016, Peder Fredricson of Sweden took 3rd place on H&M Christian K (0/48.28). Julia Houtzager-Kayser (T), riding Sterrehof’s Ushi, was the only Austrian to make the jump-off, which she completed in eleventh place with two knock-downs.
04 CSI5* GLOCK’s Perfection Tour
Int. jumping competition with jump-off, 1.55 m
Competition counts for the LONGINES Ranking list
1. Callisto – O’Connor, Cian (IRL) 0/40.98 in j-o
2. Sfn Zenith – Dubbeldam, Jeroen (NED) 0/43.13 in j-o
3. H&M Christian K – Fredricson, Peder (SWE) 0/48.28 in j-o
4. Dream Of India Greenfield – Devos, Pieter (BEL) 4/42.15 in j-o
5. Ugano de Coquerie – Bucci, Piergiorgio (ITA) 4/42.66 in j-o
6. Cristy – Ehning, Marcus (GER) 4/42.97 in j-o
7. Dino W – Allen, Bertram (IRL) 4/43.94 in j-o
8. Don Diego – Schröder, Gerco (NED) 4/44.26 in j-o
9. VDL Groep Quatro – van der Vleuten, Maikel (NED) 4/46.50 in j-o
10. Indi – Meyer-Zimmermann, Janne F. (GER) 4/47.09 in j-o
11. Sterrehof’s Ushi – Houtzager-Kayser, Julia (AUT/T) 8/57.11 in j-o
12. Ulysse des Forets – Guerdat, Steve (SUI) 12/41.24 in j-o
Link to results