Zoltán Czékus performed the best among the Hungarians in the most prestigious number of the fourth day of the 37th István Count Széchenyi Show Jumping Competition: riding Ricola, he finished in second place on Sunday at the Grand Prix at the Budapest National Stud. The Latvian Kristaps Neretnieks (Palladium KJV) performed the best, he ran the course in 43.88 seconds without a mistake.
35 riders took part in the Szerencsejáték Zrt. competition, with a total prize money of 57,500 euros, including 11 domestic competitors. On the course consisting of 14 obstacles - 17 efforts with twos and threes - the level time was 92 seconds, beyond that there was one fault point per second, while obstacles were penalized with four fault points. Five riders - including three from home - managed to go all the way flawlessly, within the standard time, so they entered the competition, in which only eight obstacles had to be jumped, including one combined, and here speed was also important.
Zoltán Czékus (Photo: István Kuklis, archive)
The goal of the Hungarian show jumping team - as Kristóf Szotyori-Nagy, president of the show jumping branch of the Hungarian Equestrian Association, told MTI on Thursday - is to finish in the top two in the qualifying competition in Prague at the end of July, necessary to obtain an Olympic quota. In order to participate in the five-ring, it is also necessary for the horse and rider to have a qualification, which can be obtained in such a competition organized with 155-centimeter obstacles and in accordance with the requirements of the international association in terms of course construction, by the given rider completing the course with a maximum of four fault points.
175 riders from 22 countries took part in the competition weekend, which started on Thursday and ended on Sunday, with a total prize money of almost 150,000 euros.
Source and full article: National Sport
Featured image: MTI/Noémi Bruzák
