Jérôme Guery and Margriet de Mariposa win the CSI3* 1.50m CHG Grand Prix at the Autumn MET I 2021

The third week of the Autumn MET I 2021 concluded with the CSI3* 1.50m Grand Prix presented by CHG, and it was Belgium’s Jérôme Guery on Margriet de Mariposa that took home the win – the biggest yet in the career of this promising mare.
The course designed by Peter Schumacher (GER) was delicate and technical, and eight pairs out of the starting field of 31 cleared it – joining the deciding jump-off. It was not until half-way into the Grand Prix that the first clear was posted, and it came from Julia Houtzager-Kayser (AUT) on High Five (Toulon x Burggraaf NV). Straight after the break, a jump-off was secured as Katharina Offel (GER) and Hearst DB (Emerald x Vingino) delivered a clear round – and then six more pairs joined in to battle it out for the win: Hendrik-Jan Schuttert (NED) on Good Farming HS (Carrera VDL x Atlantic), Mouda Zeyada (EGY) on Fiori LS (Riscal La Silla x Quidam de Revel), Michael Greeve (NED) on Guan GJB (Namelus R x Sydney), Jérôme Guery (BEL) on Margriet de Mariposa (Nabab de Reve x For Pleasure), Jason Foley (IRL) on Clyde VA (Caretino z x Quintero) and Willem Greve (NED) on Grandorado TN (Eldorado vd Zeshoek x Carolus II).
In the jump-off, Julia Houtzager-Kayser and High Five opened with a steady clear setting the time to beat at 38.53 seconds. Katharina Offel and Hearst DB brought the time down to 36.83 but the risk came at the expense of a pole down on the Liverpool upright midway, while Schuttert had three poles down, Zeyada two and Greeve one – keeping Houtzager-Kayser in the lead. That was until Guery entered the ring though, going all in with his 9-year-old mare – crossing the finish line in 35.74 seconds. None of those to come could catch up with Guery, and in the end, Houtzager-Kayser had to settle for another runner-up position, while Jason Foley on Clyde VA slotted into third place with a time of 39.47. Katharina Offel and Hearst DB took the fourth spot with the fastest round of the four-faulters, while last week’s Grand Prix winners Michael Greeve and Guan GJB placed fifth.
RESULTS https://online.equipe.com/en/class_sections/627803
MET Oliva Nova | Photo credit © Hervé Bonnaud/1clicphoto.com

HSJ