Release date: 16/08/2010 |    

The CSI** Horse Festival Valkenswaard, which runs in conjunction with the GCT at Stal Tops,  concluded in the best way possible for the show organisers when the resident rider Daniel Duesser won the Grand Prix on Hooligan de Rosyl. Although Daniel's boss Jan Tops is in the business of producing and selling horses so sometimes Daniel's partnerships with horses are brief when one is sold on, Hooligan has been here as long as Daniel. "He is half owned by Jan and Jaques Dubaille and I have been riding him for over four years now, so yes I have a special relationship with this one,"  commented the German rider. "Today was typical Hooligan.  The weather was horrible and the ground a bit soft with everything wet and dirty and most of the horses and riders tired and fed up after a long show, but that is just what he likes best. To come out fighting when the conditions are not so perfect. Most other horses jump better usually if the sun is shining and the conditions are perfect but this one seems to like a bit of a challenge!"  Daniel and Hooligan did have to beat nine other horses in the jump off to claim the 8000 Euro prize and in fact was only .20 of a second faster than Dutch rider Aniek Poels with Asteria Z.