The end of a long week in London saw the Alltech Olympia Grand Prix - it is a long week for the staff at the Olympia complex, the Trade stands, the riders, the horses and the hardworking grooms.

Over 100,000 people make their way to the Earls Court tube station to travel the one stop to one of the greatest shows on the showjumping calendar each year - tickets are booked out some 6 months before the show each year - the press seating gets smaller each time we go as the seats are too valuable to be sold, and in fairness this is a show that doesn't require publicity - the people flock to it year after year - and one of the main draw cards each year is the name "Whitaker" - this family is legendary around the world of horses but in England they are heroes and legends.

This year the crowds were treated to Michael, Ellen and Robert in the senior classes with John missing due to a broken leg some 8 weeks ago.

The world cup on Sunday afternoon saw an enormous number going through to the jump off - Frank Rothenberger was not going to let that happen again! The Grand Prix track was tall and wide with absolutely no let up anywhere and add to that a tough enough time and we had an exciting class!

Thirty-four combinations lined up for starters orders and Cameron Hanley was first to face the judges with the handsome grey Limbus/Ahorn stallion S.I.E.C LIvello and they finished on 8 faults but did not collect time, which gave those following a clue as to the pace that needed to be set - Cam is not known for taking leisurely strolls around tracks.

The first clear came from France's Timothee Anciaume and the 10 year old Selle Francais stallion Lamm de Fetan - pictured below left - and the crowd roared their approval for a perfectly ridden round.

The crowd then saw heroes fall when Robert Smith collected 16 jumping faults plus time penalties. Malin Bayard-Johnsson, a huge favourite with the crowd, left the arena with 12 jumping faults plus time, on the 9 year old stallion son of Lux Z, H&M Tornesch. Malin, only back after a 6 month break to have her son, will no doubt not be unhappy though as this stallion is talented and scopey and has no doubt got a huge future ahead of him with Malin in the saddle.

World number 5, Australia'a Edwina Alexander and Cevo Itot du Chateau made one mistake at fence 7, a tall vertical coming off a tight corner to finish with four faults, leaving her out of tonights jump off.

The second clear round came from the very inform youngster of this week, 20 year old Abdel Said who is putting Egypt on the showjumping map. His first round, riding the 9 year old Phin Phin gelding Avenir - pictured above centre - was ridden superbly, with not a mistake made.

So now we had a two horse jump off - and the way things were looking at the half way mark it might be a very small jump off!

Peter Charles for Team Great Britain retired after having 3 fences down and Nick Skelton also retired after fence 9 when he had lowered two fences.

Ben Maher, was one of the unluckiest riders today when, after riding a near perfect round, with every fence planned he lightly tapped the final fence to finish with 4 faults. He had so obviously watched the other riders carefully and took care with the bogey fences, making sure he got the approaches perfectly but the final fence which stood at 1.60m square caught them short and they took out the front rail.

It was the current European Champion, Kevin Staut for France who gave us our third clear round in the saddle of Le Prestige St Louis - pictured above right.

Robert Whitaker had the crowd holding their collective breath as he came into the troublesome treble of triple bar, vertical, oxer but it was all over for them when part C fell, leaving them out of the jump off.

Winner of the previous days World Cup qualifier continued in form and Eric van der Vleuten gave us clear round number four riding VDL Groep Tomboy - pictured below left.

Italy's Natale Chiaudani came to an early end to his Grand Prix class when he slid into fence 4, after misjudging the distance from fence 3 (9 strides) and landing on his feet on the floor, with elimantion as their fate.

The Netherlands Marc Houtzager was another who rode a text book round with HBC Tamino and got caught out at the final fence finishing with 4 faults.

With just two left the crowd were on the edge of their seats wondering whether their local hero would star in the jump off.

But second to go was the Irishman, Cian O'Connor and Rancorrado - pictured above right - and they completed one of the best rounds today - barely was a toe to rail heard and they came through the finish flags with everything in place and time perfect, with plenty to spare.

Last out and the one who could give us a 6 horse jump off - Michael Whitaker and GIG Amai - pictured below left - and the crowd noise was deafening as they entered the arena - but as the start bell rang out for the final rider in the first round of the Alltech Olympia Grand Prix a hush fell around the arena. Even the clinking of champagne glasses around the private boxes ceased and Michael and Amai came through the start!

Commentators Mike Tucker and Geoff Billington hushed the crowd as Whitaker headed to the troublesome treble combination at fence 5 and urged silence when they successfully negotiated it but again urged the crowd to keep silent as they came towards the difficult trip from fence 7, 3 strides to 8A (vertical) to 8B (oxer) and finally the crowd let loose roaring their approval of MIchael's clear round and his place as number 6 in what was going to be a fast jump off as 6 vied for the £15,000 which would make for a very happy christmas.

The jump off course - started at fence 9 (a tall,wide oxer at the pocket) then a long gallop to fence 2 (the lampost planks), a tight turn to the sunrise oxer known in round one as fence 3. After this a long run down to fence 4, the Alltech vertical, a left turn to 5B and 5C, which had caused so many problems in round one when it was a treble. After 5C, 4 strides to the swedish oxer (fence 6) and then a long run to fence 8A, a tall vertical.

To win this the riders would have to be brave with brave horses as there was no place to take a steady, it was about getting the rhythm from the first stride through the flags through to the last stride after the finish flags.

First to go, Timothee Anciaume rode a super round but he took a chance to the last fence and to the groans of the crowd it fell leaving him with 4 faults in 34.45secs.

Young Abdel Said for Egypt was next to try his hand at this jump off

and it was looking very impressive until he missed his striding from 5C to 6 and the swedish oxer fell leaving them with a very respectable four faults in 36.23secs.

Kevin Staut came unstuck at fence 4, midway around the course to also finish with 4 faults in the fastest time to date, 33.89secs.

At the halfway mark and no clear round yet............but that changed when the master entered the arena and rode the perfect round - Eric van der Vleuten gave us a perfectly ridden jump off which stopped the clock at 36.02secs, leaving room for Cian or Michael to go faster but to beat him they had to leave everything standing!

Second last, Cian O'Connor who has been very much the bridesmaid in Olympia this week, was determined to try for the win - and you could see the determination on his face as he entered the arena!

He then proceeded to ride the almost perfect jump off - not a nail to rail was heard as they flashed around the arena coming through the finish flags with a joyous "beating of the air" from Cian as he saw his time of 35.49secs putting him in the lead!

But he could not count his money yet as a master of speed jumping was last to go - Michael Whitaker and Amai and again the crowd showed their great appreciation and love of this living legend of showjumping.

The early part of the jumping was going well but at 5C things went a little astray when this fence fell, quickly followed by fence 6 saw Michael beat Cian's time but with 8 jumping faults the class and the £15,000 belonged to Ireland's Cian O'Connor who was a very happy man, of that there is no question.

So in a reversal of the placings from the previous day, Cian O''Connor led the procession into the arena for presentation with Eric van der Vleuten taking second position behind him , adding £9,000 to his £23,775 from the world cup qualifying win yesterday.

Obviously these two had been very good boys and Santa came early for them, which will no doubt take some of the sting out of driving home in what can only be described as shocking weather which has struck England, Scotland and much of Europe.

And so after a long week in London, many of these riders will head to Mechelen in Belgium for the next world cup round at the show starting on December 26th running to the 30th December as the finale of shows for 2009.

Stay tuned for moving pictures of this class and more on the colour and fun of a great pre-christmas show in the next days.