A big moment for Matthijs

Mathijs Van Asten scored the biggest win of his show jumping career when topping the €200,000 Acqua Uliveto Grand Prix which brought the CSI5* at San Patrignano to a close late last night (Sunday). In the quality start-list of 43 runners, the 31 year old Dutchman was not the most obvious contender to take one of the biggest prizes on the international show jumping circuit. But the smoothness of his victory with the 11 year old stallion VDL Groep Chester Z proclaimed his absolute right to the title of 14th Grand Prix at this immensely popular Italian fixture.

In the truly global line-up New Zealand's Samantha McIntosh and Loxley finished second ahead of Australia's Chris Chugg and Vivant in third while Holland's Michael Van der Vleuten (VDL Groep Verdi) slotted into fourth ahead of Norway's Connie Bull (Cezanne) in fifth. The home nation had to settle for sixth when Juan Carlos Garcia's chance of scooping the honours slipped from his grasp with a mistake in the jump-off but the great Italian horseman earned the Leading Rider prize of a brand new Rolex watch while seventh placed Australian, Edwina Alexander, claimed the Bracco Prize for the Best Lady Rider.

Course designer Louis Konickx had been testing the horses and riders all week, as had the colourful and innovative San Patrignano fences which, even on the final day, were still taking some very experienced horses by surprise. The final track of the show was another masterpiece, and the tight time-allowed ensured the pressure was on from the outset. There were many opportunities to make a mistake, but one of the biggest influences on the end result was the double of oxers at fence five which claimed the scalps of so many of the top partnerships including Germany's Christian Ahlmann with Lorenzo, Ireland's Jessica Kuerten with Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois and The Netherlands' Albert Zoer with Samurai. In an extraordinarily prophetic turn of events, America's Richard Spooner pointed out the particular difficultly of the line from that double of oxer to the following planks during the course-walk only to find himself sidelined when Cristallo hit those very planks on an otherwise copybook tour of the course. However, third into the ring, Connie Bull ensured passage into the jump-off with a great round from the impressive Cezanne and she was joined by eight others for a real thriller.

Bull set the target with a careful clear in 43 seconds but that was never going to be quick enough to leave her in the winner's enclosure. For his final test, Mr Konickx left long distances between several of the fences, thereby encouraging riders to gallop hard and take more risk, and Van Asten didn't flinch when second to go against the clock. He set sail with complete determination and scorched round in 39.45 seconds to set a target that the rest just couldn't touch. Fourth to go, Chugg and Vivant had a real crack at it when racing home in 40.39 seconds and the crowd really warmed to the Australian veteran who, after going clear in the first round, removed his hat in customary fashion and put his hand to his ear to encourage them to show their appreciation. When clear again second time out they were once treated to his traditional celebratory pirouette before leaving the ring. Spectators have really taken this antipodean into their hearts since he bounced onto the European stage before the World Cup final in Geneva last April. His chances of claiming the runner-up prize however were blown away by McIntosh and Loxley who chased Van Asten all the way but were just short of the target when breaking the beam in 39.79 seconds.

Penultimate rider into the ring was German star Ludger Beerbaum, but when Gotha hit the first element of the double he was out of luck and the most pressured man of the entire competition was last man into the ring Juan Carlos Garcia. Carrying Italian hopes for a home victory he set off with Hamilton de Perhet, but when the third-last fence hit the floor it was Van Asten who would steal the limelight.

The 31 year old who is based in northern Holland is the younger brother of regular Dutch member member Leopold Van Asten who is stable-rider for the famous breeding and horse-producing yard VDL which also supports Mathijs who co-owns the winning horse along with its breeder. This was clearly an opportunity to Matthijs to step out from his older brother's shadow in the company of the horse he as been riding now for several years. "He has had a slow education" Matthijs said of Chester which he rode in the WBF Young Horse Championships in Lanaken for three consecutive years and which finished third in those Championships as a 6 year old. "I always saw his potential but I took my time with him and I'm so happy with him tonight because he still hasn't come back to absolutely top form - he had a virus for a while and he had two months off so he's only really coming back to himself now" he pointed out. "I'm proud of him tonight'" he added modestly.

James Paterson-Robinson scored his second victory of the tournament when opening yesterday's programme with a great win from Lanosso in the APT Servizi Emilia Romagna Accumulator. This Australian has really put himself into centre-stage with confident, professional performances at San Patrignano and he finished here ahead of Italy's Emilio Bicocchi riding Olea while Ludger Beerbaum slotted into third with Lancer's Louxor.

Germany's Marco Kutscher admitted he was a bit surprised to win the Mapei Young Horse competition which opened the final day but this was an emphatic victory with Loreto Classic. "I didn't really expect to get into the jump-off with him, but when I did I decided to test him and see how he would cope - he is very careful and at the last double we were really close but he really tried his best and I was very impressed by him" the rider said. Like so many of the other young horses Loreto Classic was spooky when coming into the ring even on the final day - "you have to expect that with young horses, especially when the fences are so bright and strange as they are here - I don't mind if they spook a bit because its only natural, they have to learn, but its important they do their silly things like that but then put it behind them and just get on with it and that's what this horse did today so I'm really happy with him, especially since I've only been riding him now for a few weeks" he added.

The 14th CSI5* at San Patrignano provided three days of classic competition and a new champion in Holland's Matthijs Van Asten.