October 5, 2020 
“Cento” is the Italian word for one hundred.
Blue is the color of a winning ribbon in America.
Christian Heineking (GER) and NKH Cento Blue claimed both on Sunday, riding to victory in the $100,000 1.45m FEI Grand Prix to close the Split Rock Jumping Tour’s (SRJT) Columbus International II CSI2*.
Eight of the 51 horse starting field advanced to the jump-off in the Oscar Soberon designed course. Seven repeated their foot perfect performances, turning in a second clean round over the seven-jump tiebreaker.
Last in the ring, Heineking and the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding sped to a commanding win, using Cento Blue’s massive stride to leave out strides in the lines and make a tidy roll back to the SRJT oxer. The pair crossed the timers in 36.750 seconds, three-quarters of a second faster than runners up Harrie Smolders (NED) and Hocus Pocus De Muze (37.490 seconds).
“I saw the round and I thought I would give it a try,” said Heineking.
Watch Heineking’s winning round:
USA’s Hunter Holloway took third with zero faults in 38.070 seconds on Pepita Con Spita.
