Olympia 1999

by Helen Revington
(Photographs by Stephen Sparkes)

Current Olympic Gold Medallist Ulrich Kirchoff

The world's last International Horse Show of the twentieth century held at Olympia in London proved as exhilarating as ever. The Show, which has always made the most of its festive place in the equestrian calendar, was a total sell-out. A heady cocktail of nail-biting international show jumping classes and more light-hearted seasonal jumping classes was made more intoxicating by additional displays of horsemanship, dogmanship - and of camelmanship!

Top international riders from twelve nations competed for a generous prize pot of over £200,000 during the five days of competition, including the current Olympic and World Games Gold Medallists, Germany's Ulrich Kirchoff and Franke Sloothaak. America's sole representative was the talented Alison Firestone who, at 23, was having her first competitive visit to Olympia. Alison was to prove her versatility as a rider throughout the week by claiming two major classes on a mare and a gelding and by being well placed on her stallion, Jersey.

When Alison and her eleven-year-old Selle Français mare, Arnica de la Barre, won the Masters class on the Sunday she confessed that the £13,500 first prize was the biggest purse she had won to date. So, she was utterly delighted when, the next day, she clenched the £16,5000 first prize in the closing competition of the show, the Grand Prix, riding the nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Royal Future. "Everybody told me that Olympia was the best show to come to so I worked very hard to make sure that I got an invitation to ride here" said an ecstatic Alison. "I love the whole atmosphere here. Usually between classes I go back to the hotel but here you cannot help but be enchanted by the Christmas spirit. I love the dog agility classes, but it makes me realise how much I miss my dog Benjamin while on tour." Alison returned to her home in Virginia after the show and will continue to pursue a place in the American Olympic squad.

Robert Smith and Senator For the Best - winners of the Christmas Cracker

The World Cup qualifier was one of the highlights of the Show and, for the first time at Olympia, it was preceded by a qualifying competition titled the 'Christmas Cracker' from which the top twenty combinations went through to the World Cup Preliminary Round.

Friday's Christmas Cracker produced thirty starters and was won in convincing style by Robert Smith riding the nine-year-old stallion Senator For The Best. In a 'one round against the clock' competition Robert finished three seconds clear of Germany's Carsten-Otto Nagel and L'Eperon. Six other riders produced clear rounds, including Britain's Di Lampard (Abbervail Dream) and Geoff Billington (Virtual Village It's Otto). The winner of last year's qualifier, John Whitaker, this time riding Virtual Village Welham, scraped into the top twenty by finishing seventeenth, having had two fences down.

However, the Christmas Cracker was not to be a reliable form guide when it came to the real thing the following day. Frank Rothenburger's huge course produced nine clear rounds to go through to a jump off, including Robert Smith, Geoff Billington and John Whitaker, but not, surprisingly, Carsten-Otto Nagel, who had to settle for joint tenth place.

You would think that having to go first in such a large jump off would put John Whitaker at a disadvantage but he set the veteran Welham alight and the pair blazed a trail, clocking up an incredible time to beat of just 36.79 seconds.