Springsport – Daniel Deusser (GER) and Katrin Eckermann (GER) secured a German double victory last night in the Super Grand Prix of the Global Champions Tour Play-Offs in Prague. The young team of the Miami Celtics took the lion’s share in the 4.5 million euro Super Cup of the Global Champions League. Max Kühner rode EIC Coriolis in ninth place in the Super Grand Prix and put everything on one card with World Championship horse Elektric Blue P for the Shanghai Swans. Together with Martin Fuchs (SUI) and Christian Ahlmann (GER), this was rewarded with third place despite three knockdowns.
The Play Offs are something like the addition of the Global Champions Tour. In Prague on Saturday evening (November 19, 2022) the best 13 rider-horse pairs of the season started in the Super Grand Prix. At the end of the evening the smallest of them should be on top: Daniel Deusser’s 160 cm tall Tobago Z (Otangelo x Mr. Blue).
In the first round over 165 cm, six duos were able to stay clean: Daniel Deusser (GER) and Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z, Katrin Eckermann (GER) and Cala Mandia, Pieter Devos (BEL) and Mom’s Toupie De La Roque, Harrie Smolders (NED ) and Monaco NOP, as well as Christian Ahlmann (GER) and Mandato van de Neerheide stayed clear on the time; McLain Ward (USA) on HH Azur and Max Kühner (T) on EIC Coriolis des Isles each had one penalty point on their account for overtime.
What: Instagram/ eqwo.net_equestrianworldwide
In round two, only the later top three might remain flawless. McLain Ward rode a strategically clever lap and, due to his time error from the first round, tried to stay on time without taking as much risk as possible, which was also successful. As she later explained, Katrin Eckermann started her first Super Grand Prix very relaxed, because her nine-year-old Westphalian mare felt more than brilliant. This was confirmed with a clear round two out of two.
Daniel Deusser’s Tobago Z didn’t seem quite as light as a feather at first. But the German helped with his voice and a lot of skill and the 14-year-old Zangersheide stallion threw his heart out. Despite touching the poles in the double combination, he didn’t throw down and gave his rider the victory and prize money of more than 300,000 euros.
What: YouTube/ Longines Global Champions Tour
at Max Kuehner and his ten-year-old chestnut stallion by Zandor dropped two poles in the second round, resulting in nine penalties = ninth place and still more than 33,000 euros.
The Austrian by choice opted for his Monaco winner EIC Coriolis des Isles in the “individual” final and saved his World Championship horse and Rolex GP winner Elektric Blue P for the Global Champions League. There, the winning sum for the teams is even higher.
GCL: Audacity beats experience, Kuehner’s Shanghai Swans third
The team competition of the Global Champions League was the highlight of the CSI5* tournament on Sunday followingnoon. The six best teams of the season rode for a total of 4.5 million euros. The Shanghai Swans were one of the most famous trios with Austria’s No. 1 Max Kühner, Martin Fuchs (SUI) and Christian Ahlmann (GER).
However, three young stars took the win: 27-year-old Bertram Allen (IRE), 26-year-old Michael G. Duffy (IRE) and 23-year-old Edouard Schmitz (SUI) as team riders for the Miami Celtics. This followingnoon, these 76 years of life beat the total of 162 years of show jumping experience of Marcus Ehning (GER), Andre Thieme (GER) and John Whitaker (GBR), who rode for the Valkenswaard United team and ended up having the same number of points due to the time (12 penalty points) had to admit defeat.
The Shanghai Swans finished third with 16 penalty points. In round one, Martin Fuchs dropped a pole on Leone Jei, in round two Max Kühner and Elektric Blue P unfortunately had three downs. Christian Ahlmann and Dominator Z showed a sovereign double clear round.
Winter break is the order of the day for Jan Tops and his Global Champions Tour. Even if the official stages for the coming season have not yet been published, the CSI in Doha (QAT) might mark the beginning once more at the end of February/beginning of March.
Related Links:
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