A THIRD visit to the five-star Knokke show in Belgium and it just keeps getting better. The brain child of Stephex founder and CEO Stephan Conter, Knokke began in 2013 and since then, Conter has continued to up the standards every year.

This year’s five-star Grand Prix jump-off included Penelope Leprevost, McLain Ward, Neils Bruynseels, Luciana Diniz, Steve Guerdat, Christian Ahlmann, Lorenzo de Luca, Nicola Philipparts and Darragh Kenny, just to name a few.

Of course, Conter has the ammunition and investment to run a show of this standard, although the entry fee is an area of consternation for some riders who are not invited.

But for the Belgian public, who do not have to pay into the venue, to be able to witness Olympic riders jump and mingle around plays a huge part in promoting the sport in the country.

The show was jam packed on Sunday for the Grand Prix, with a large majority strolling in from the seaside town to watch the exciting class unfold and the atmosphere was amazing.

While the Global Champions Tour are pushing the sport to a new level every year, in contrast to those shows, it is good to see the general public widely catered for outside of the VIP area in Knokke. The show makes everyone feel like they are welcome and wanted.

It was promising to see the launch of the Sport Horse Alliance report this week (see A50), and one of their ambitions is to get funding of €30 million over five years to develop infrastructure to a standard required to attract international competitors, and travelling to these kinds of show in Europe, which they have done, is vital to getting this over the line.

A good facility is invaluable for promoing the sport to a wider audience and the national media.

EXCEPTIONAL

Darragh Kenny was doing just his second European show with the incredibly talented Balou du Reventon (Cornet Obolensky x Continue) and gave an exhibition of jumping on Friday and Sunday to finish as runner-up on both occasions.

Sunday’s Grand Prix, as mentioned, was a star-studded affair and 14 made it through to the jump-off. Designed by Italian Uliano Vezzani, the jump-off track was made up of a number of related distances so to have a horse that is a little quicker across the jump was going to be an advantage.

Kenny was fourth to go and, determined, he set a brilliant time of 39.06 seconds with an extremely tight angle to the penultimate fence. He held on as the next five failed to catch his time until Belgium’s Neils Bruynseels managed to break the 38 second mark with the speedy Gancia de Muze.

Britain’s William Whitaker completed the podium with Utamaro D Ecaussines (0/0 38.84).

“I thought that my horse was fantastic and I had as good a round as I could have had. Niels and his horse were amazing today, and it was his day to win,” Kenny said.

Aimed at the World Equestrian Games, where, like any championship, clear round jumping is the most important thing, Balou du Reventon would have been under the watchful eye of chef d’equipe Rodrigo Pessoa all weekend, who was competing himself in Knokke.

Kenny was full of praise for the show in Knokke: “I’ve been here last year, and the year before – it is a fantastic show. We’re actually here for all three weeks. They do everything perfect here, I love it so I like to stay here!”

His other runner-up placing came in Friday night’s 1.50m jump-off, where he was just slower than America’s Adrienne Sternlicht and the amazing Cristalline, who is looked after by Irish groom Emma Chapman. Kenny came out on top of Sunday’s seven-year-old final with his own Lolly Pop Van’t Akkerhof.

Other Irish at the venue included Shane Sweetnam who was unlucky not to jump a clear in the Grand Prix with the lovely 10-year-old mare Indra van de Oude Heihoef, the last part of the combination just catching them out.

Greg Broderick made the trip from Thurles with his students and he finished fourth in Sunday’s three-star 1.45m aboard his recent double New Heights winner Duco.

He was also fourth in Saturday’s Accumulator with Dabelle (Nabab de Reve x Chin Chin). Cian O’Connor was one place ahead with Grey van de Castanoschans.

Broderick’s American student Rosalie Biedron won Saturday’s two-star 1.30m with her nine-year-old Toulon-sired stallion Tucson Z, while Veronia Tracy finished second in Friday’s 1.45m with the consistent Zuidam.

Galway’s Stephen Moore, who works closely with Kenny and trains American young rider Teddy Vlock, was also in the placings. Riding Deejay, he was sixth in Thursday’s two-star Grand Prix qualifier and seventh in Saturday’s 1.40m with Udsturm du Lys.