Vincenzo Muccioli Challenge 2005

Otto Becker wins the 2005 Challenge
Download the results (in pdf)

Difficult weather conditions during this, the last weekend of July, did nothing to dull the competition at San Patrignano. Thanks to three clear – and fast – rounds, Otto Becker and Dobel’s Cento won the 2005 Vincenzo Muccioli Challenge. The Grand Prix was the most anticipated event of the FEI European Jumping Championship and boasted the continent’s top riders. Behind Becker were Ludger Beerbaum on Espoir and Giovanni Govoni on Loro Piana Lasita.

Out of twenty three riders in the first round, six went clear. Among them were Dutch rider Piet Raymakers on Van Schijndek’s Curtis, Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum and Otto Becker, England’s John Whitaker on Exploit du Rouland, Italy’s Gianno Govoni, Austrian rider Wolfgang Otschmaier on Vasco de Gama MI. Irish champ Dermot Lennon went clear with Condios, but incurred one fault as he went over the allotted time.

The second round produced six more clear rounds, making a jump off necessary to determine the placing.

First on the field was Wolfgang Otschmaier, the least experienced rider in the group. Even though he rode rather slowly, he knocked down a rail on the second fence of a combination, racking up four faults. Gianni Govoni was faster and more precise, going clear in 43.6 seconds. Then came John Whitaker who cut the corner coming up to the combination in an attempt to shave a few seconds off his time, and ended p with four faults. Ludger Beerbaum rode a faultless and quick round (42.34’). Dobel’s Cento, under the expert guidance of Otto Becker, went one better with a clean round in 41.89’.