On his first appearance at GHPC Austria, Irishman Cian O’Connor immediately collected a five-star victory. For the GLOCK’s 5* Opening Competition he saddled up the twelve-year-old Swiss stallion Copain du Perchet CH, putting on an outstanding performance in this test over 1.45 m. With a penalty-free round with a time of 65.17 seconds, the duo left the other 73 participating duos with no chance and O’Connor could celebrate his first place. “I’m so happy to have been able to take part in this wonderful event for the first time. It’s great to have dealt with the first test so quickly, because that creates a great impetus for the weekend. In the Grand Prix on Sunday I won’t be riding this horse but rather one of my students’. For now I’m hoping that this weekend will carry on as well as it began.”

Jur Vrieling (NED) with Corporal VDL, bred from Cardento, was closest to victory because, at 65.31 seconds, he was only 14 hundredths behind Cian O’Connor. His compatriot, two-times Olympic winner Jeroen Dubbeldam, came third with his BWP mare Gioia van het Neerenbosch (0/68.53). The only Austrian to achieve a placing was Max Kühner (T), coming tenth with nine-year-old Zangersheide stallion Alfa Jordan (0/73.26).

01 CSI5* GLOCK’s Opening Competition
International jumping competition against the clock 1.45 m
1. Copain du Perchet CH - O’Connor, Cian (IRL) 0/65.17
2. Corporal VDL - Vrieling, Jur (NED) 0/65.31
3. Gioia van het Neerenbosch - Dubbeldam, Jeroen (NED) 0/68.53
4. Dallas Vdl - Vrieling, Jur (NED) 0/68.78
5. Coranto - Muff, Werner (SUI) 0/68.94
6. Alicante - Guery, Jérome (BEL) 0/68.96
7. Don Diego - Schröder, Gerco (NED) 0/70.3
8. Chesall Zimequest - Delestre, Simon (FRA) 0/70.91

Edited press release