Equestrianism: Whitaker's third win

MICHAEL WHITAKER gained his third victory of the German Nations Cup meeting when he rode Everest My Mesieur to win yesterday's Preis der Vegla, writes Genevieve Murphy from Aachen. The major contest, for the earlier Preis von Europa, went to the Brazilian, Rodrigo Pessoa, who repeated last year's success here on Loro Piana Special Envoy.

John Whitaker, sixth to go in the 19-horse jump-off for the Europa class, held the lead with Everest Gammon before the last two jumped. 'Those were the ones I was worried about,' Whitaker said. His fears proved well founded when Franke Sloothaak, of Germany, and Pessoa pushed him back to third.

Sloothaak won a Renault car last Sunday as the leader of the Arnhem show and turned it upside down on his victory drive around the arena. But he made no mistake riding San Patrignano Weihaiwej. Still only nine- years-old and in her first season with Sloothaak, she is athletic and very careful, as she proved when clipping 1.49sec off Gammon's time. Pessoa was even faster (by 1.06sec) on Special Envoy.

Mark Armstrong, riding Corella, jumped the only other British clear round for the Europa prize before incurring eight faults in the jump off. Michael Whitaker fell back when Midnight Madness made a single error in the opening round.