Poles come out as first winners at Warsaw Jumping CSIO4*

Two triumphs of Poland, a complete set of ranking points for a Belgian– the capital of Poland welcomes the first day of Warsaw Jumping CSIO4*.

Jarosław Skrzyczyński ended up winning the opening competition of Warsaw Jumping 2022, which was a CSI2* two-phase for the prize of Fundacja Lotto. The multi-medalist of national championships seized the first place with his Olimpic Star. The second of Thursday’s competition saw Michał Kaźmierczak win the CSIO4* 140 cm competition for the prize of Traf Zakłady Wzajemne with a Polish-bred Whoopy Boy.

 ‘A normal thing for an opening competition – everyone was a bit on the cautious side, which I think I took advantage of. And it went down well. The parkour was a good starter for the opening competition, even though the arena is quite peculiar – which gives those less experienced horses a bit of extra challenge.’ – said Skrzyczyński right after the decoration.

3:30 pm sharp marked the beginning of the top competition of the day, namely the Grand Prix CSIO4* qualifier for the prize of CaseIH and under the patronage of Koń Polski. 58 pairs down the starting list and the prize pool of right over PLN 100,000 – the competition that counts in the Longines Ranking. The Italian course designer has come up with a parkour of 12 obstacles (14 jumps) of 145 cm height. The stake was not just financial bonus and the right to ride the Grand Prix, but also the world ranking points to gain.

The first one to complete the mission flawlessly was Anthony Condon of Ireland, to be followed by the clear rounds of – among others – Maikel van der Vleuten, a bronze medallist of the World Championships and Eion McMahon, who ranked eighth at the European Championships 2021. None of them was this time close enough to beat the winner – Wilm Vermeir. The Belgian and his Hotshot mare clocked the round at 61,95 sec., which brought them 50 points to feed into the Longines Ranking. The key to success seems to have been the tight, dynamic ride, particularly at the turns. The 10-year-old Hotshot happens to be the daughter of the double silver medallist of the London Olympics – the Glock’s London stallion (Carembar de Muze).

Andrzej Opłatek finished second with Le Cordial. Quite like the winner, he decided to stick to fluent, expressive ride, gaining extra time whole approaching obstacle no. 8. He finished the course at 63,05 sec. Mario Stevens of Germany with Carrie 22 came third, after a clear round of 63,57 sec. The fastest in the competition was Jarosław Skrzyczyński – at 61,23, who would have won if it had not been for a knockdown.

At tomorrow’s Grand Prix we are about to see 50 contestants – 41 of whom represent the national teams that will compete at the EEF Series Final on Sunday. The remaining list of nine positions has been decided through today’s competition.

Warsaw Jumping comes out accompanied by a series of various attractions. Still today, the official time-keeper of the competition – the Swiss Longines brand – proudly introduced their new timepiece: the Longines Ultra-Chron. The model, which had not been previously available in Poland, comes with an ultra high-frequency movement, which greatly secure the outstanding accuracy. The silicon balance-spring eliminates all magnetic deviation. The new Longines Ultra-Chron will evoke an emotional response from sports lovers, as well as those thrilled to wear a bit of horological history on their wrists.

More information at: warsawjumping.com

Tickets also available at: eBilet.pl