A fairytale ending to Jumping Amsterdam as Marc Houtzager claims ‘incredible’ World Cup victory again

A fairytale could not have had a more beautiful ending than this edition of Jumping Amsterdam, where Stoeterij Sterrehof bid farewell as a sponsor after many years of involvement. Their rider, Marc Houtzager, won the main event, the World Cup round, with their mare Sterrehof’s Dante—a formidable repeat of the pair’s victory in 2020.

Four Dutch riders in the jump-off

A Dutch victory was already in the air, with six combinations qualifying for the jump-off, including four from the Netherlands. Michael Greeve was the first to break the deadlock early in the competition. Riding the big-striding Denver, Greeve easily closed all the open distances, and with impressive power, the son of Diarado soared over the massive obstacles designed by Quintin Maertens.

Leopold van Asten

Leopold van Asten replicated this performance with the brilliantly jumping VDL Groep Nino du Roton. Moments later, the packed RAI once again turned into a sea of red, white, and blue flags when Jur Vrieling posted the third clear round aboard Helwell du Chabus. But the roof truly came off when Marc Houtzager and Sterrehof’s Dante flew effortlessly over the 14 demanding obstacles.

Lynch and Kühner

Eventually, only Irish rider Denis Lynch with the powerful Vistogrand and Austria’s Max Kühner joined the select group set to battle for the €172,500 prize purse.

Immense pressure

There was, of course, immense pressure on the four Dutch riders in the jump-off. In front of an ecstatic home crowd, they wanted to win more than ever. However, Greeve was eliminated at the EuroParcs vertical, which was set up from a rollback, while Van Asten had two fences down. Jur Vrieling then delivered his second clear round, but Helwell du Chabus lost some momentum in the turn towards the EuroParcs vertical.

Tight turns

His time of 40.03 seconds was certainly beatable, and Marc Houtzager wasted no time proving it. He added an extra stride on the first long line, allowing his 17-year-old mare to take an extremely tight turn to the double combination. The pace remained high through the rollback and final line, resulting in a faultless round in 38.30 seconds.

Denis Lynch capitalized on Vistogrand’s huge stride but ultimately had to concede to Houtzager’s fiery Canturano daughter with a time of 38.99 seconds.

A dream finale

That left only Max Kühner with a chance to spoil the Sterrehof celebration. His EIC Julius Caesar (by Couleur Rubin) sped around the course in a blistering 37.58 seconds, but a rail at the EuroParcs vertical sealed his fate. This meant that the grand prize went to the man who has so often been at his best in Amsterdam: Marc Houtzager. Thus, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup of Amsterdam presented by EuroParcs ended with a dream finale.

‘Luckily, Denis gave me a hand’

“Incredible,” was the first word Marc Houtzager managed to utter after his victory. “Five years ago, we stood here, and now again, at the last event with Sterrehof as a sponsor. In the jump-off, I took one stride too many from fence 2 to 3, and I thought, ‘Oh no, I’m not fast enough.’ But (laughs) luckily, Denis (Lynch, editor’s note) gave me a hand…”

‘Better than third’

Denis Lynch had mixed feelings about finishing second for the second time in two days. After all, he was also runner-up in the Grand Prix. “It certainly doesn’t feel like half a victory, but it’s definitely better than third!”

Houtzager: “This was truly memorable. Sterrehof has been my sponsor for 20 years—it’s incredible to finish our journey like this in Amsterdam. I had been working towards this moment. Last year, I followed my own program with Dante, not focusing on the Paris Olympics, but rather balancing her workload. Before Jumping Amsterdam, I let her jump two rounds at a 2-star competition in Lier. And now, today, this victory!”

Riding at its best

Denis Lynch: “My job is to ride my horse well, and I did just that. Vistogrand was relaxed and jumped fantastically. Now, I just hope the breeders took notice and that he gets some interest as a stallion.”

Six times in the top five

All smiles after the event, especially for World Cup third-place finisher Jur Vrieling. “Helwell du Chabus has finished in the top five in six of his last seven Grand Prix events. I certainly wasn’t aiming for third, but after taking a few extra strides, I thought, ‘I’d better stay clear and be happy with third place.’”

Loyal Amsterdam crowd

Jumping Amsterdam director Irene Verheul was extremely satisfied. “Over the past few days, we’ve welcomed around 50,000 people. Of course, they come for the world’s best riders, but I also hope those riders want to come to Amsterdam because of the crowd. The enthusiasm and atmosphere truly belong to our loyal Amsterdam audience!”

Picture by Digishots
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