Sterrehof’s Calimero excels in Rotterdam!

It was special for us to witness that Marc Houtzager and Sterrehof’s Calimero were again at their very best and this time during the prestigious Grand Prix of CHIO Rotterdam. They did a marvelous job in the first round by easily overcoming the challenging course from well-known Dutch builder Louis Konickx. Only eight combinations from the starting fifty were able to do this. In a nail biting jump-off these remaining world class combinations gave everything and for sure Marc and Calimero did! They came within half a second of the winning time of Peder Fredricson and H&M All In and finished third.

Enormous jumps

Marc was of course excited afterwards. He said: ‘I think this is the quickest jump-off I have ever ridden. We only lost time in the air because of the enormous jumps from Calimero. He was in a phenomenal shape. He already showed it on Friday in the Nations Cup but there I made a stupid mistake. I was sick about it. Luckily we could do a better job in the Grand Prix! For me Calimero is one of the best horses in Europe and maybe even in the world.

So after the victory in the Grand Prix of Drachten, a third place in the Rolex Grand Prix of Indoor Brabant and the title at the national championship there was again a great result in one of the main classes we have in the Netherlands. Last year Marc and an only nine years old Calimero were already sixth in the Grand Prix of Rotterdam, a class that already brought remarkable successes for Marc and other of our horses. He has won in the past with Sterrehof’s Tamino and was also third and fifth with Sterrehof’s Opium.