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Rene Dittmer Slices & Dices to Win the $39,000 Flecha Azul CSI 5* at the Hampton Classic Horse Show

Bridgehampton, New York, USA โ€“ August 31, 2023ย โ€“ย With 63 entries representing 15 countries contesting theย $39,000 Flecha Azul Speed Stake CSI 5*ย to prepare for a weekend of competitive sport, claiming the top of the leaderboard was anybodyโ€™s game. Rene Dittmer (GER) proved up to the task as he sliced around Alan Wadeโ€™s 15-effort, 1.45m track aboardย Burlington Riverland, putting in the fastest fault-free score of 31.18 seconds.

Theย Hampton Classic, August 27-September 3, is one of the worldโ€™s most prestigious horse shows, featuring competitors at every level from young children in leadline to Olympic, World, and World Cup Champions. The Classic also has competitions for riders with disabilities.

Panamaโ€™s Victoria Heurtematte (PAN) set an early time to beat in the two-phase, piloting her 13-year-old Zangersheide mareย Scarlett du Sart Zย through the timers in 32.87 seconds. In the end, only three riders could make that time, with Rene Dittmer (GER) and Live Oak Plantation LLCโ€™s 12-year-old Selle Franรงais gelding proving unbeatable in 31.18 seconds.

โ€œI didnโ€™t see Darraghโ€™s round at all, actually,โ€ Dittmer said of the lead Darragh Kenny (IRL) overtook for the classโ€™s latter half. โ€œBut I knew I was about one second slower on my first horse (Corsica X). Withย Corsica, I rode eight strides to the first line in the first phase, but I set up better onย Burlingtonย to ride seven strides there and cut some turns a bit shorter. That was lucky enough to win in the end.โ€

Second place went to Darragh Kenny (IRL) andย Eddy Blue, Kerry Anne LLCโ€™s 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding, for their time of 31.95 seconds. Kelli Cruciotti Vanderveen (USA) finished third and fourth respectively aboard two Serenity Farm entries, the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood geldingย Forever SFNย (0/0/32.45) and 9-year-old Belgian Warmblood mareย Isabella Van De Zuuthoeveย (0/0/32.63). Heurtematte andย Scarlett Du Sart Zย ultimately walked away with fifth.

Rene Dittmer (USA) & Burlington Riverlandย  during the awards ceremony โ€“ Photo: ยฉ KindMedia

Final Results โ€“ $39,000 Flecha Azul Speed Stake CSI 5*ย 

1) Rene Dittmer (GER) & Burlington Riverland โ€“ 0 / 0 โ€“ 31.18

2) Darragh Kenny (IRL) & Eddy Blue โ€“ 0 / 0 โ€“ 31.95

3) Kelli Cruciotti Vanderveen (USA) & Forever SFN โ€“ 0 / 0 โ€“ 32.45

Source: Press Release by Marty Bauman / Classic Communications for The Hampton Classic Horse Show

Photos: ยฉ KindMedia



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