Olympia debutants Austrias Julia Kayser and Germanys Marco Kutscher shared first place in the BIC Select Christmas Eve Six Bar at Olympia this afternoon. The pair made it through to the third jump-off without touching a pole and decided to share the first prize rather than jumping off for a fourth time. Six Bar favourites, Britains Nick Skelton and Russel tipped a pole in the third jump-off to finish third equal along with Switzerlands Beat Mandli.
The Christmas Eve Six Bar is one of Olympias most exciting competitions with the line of fences raised after each round. By the third jump-off only five riders were left in the competition and the final fence stood at over six foot. My horse has never done this before I was very pleased with him, said Julia Kayser afterwards. Marco Kutscher was equally thrilled with the result: the horse has to have scope it is a good class for Grand Prix horses, he said.
Both Marco and Julia are competing at the London International Horse Show for the first time. Ive watched it several times on television and heard so many things about it, said Kutscher who trains with Ludgar Beerbaum.
The result is an early Christmas present for Kayser who has had months off this summer due to injury and only started riding again in October. In March she broke her shoulder at a show and in June broke her ankle when her horse took off with a broken bit.
