With World Cup football looming over all other sport at the present time and Brazil firm favourites to win that contest, it was perhaps an omen that riders from the South American country dominated today’s proceedings in Monaco.
To start with there was a Brazilian 1-2 in the Prix Monte Carlo SBM which began the days action. In that class, 12 got through to the jump off so the winner was always going to have to hustle to take the red ribbon and there would not be many men more capable of doing just that than Rodrigo Pessoa. Although Edwina Alexander collected her third placing from three rides on Watch Me de Reve Bovenhoekshof at this show, she was only good enough for eventual fifth as Alvaro De Miranda Neto (with his super speed horse AD Norson) took two seconds off her time. His 35.3 time looked unbeatable until Rodrigo, next to go on Palouchin de Ligny, made a turn into the fourth that almost defied the laws of physics and clipped nearly another second off. The remaining riders then had to chase his time of 34.79. Billy Twomey ended up best of the rest in 36.52 which netted the Irishman his second third prize of the week with Tackeray. Not a bad result considering Billy has only had the horse ten days!
When the Grand Prix got under way, the Monaco crowd soon realised there would be crowning a new champion when Richard Spooner and Cristallo, winners in both the last two years, failed to make the cut for the second round. Nor did Cannes winner Edwina Alexander or GCT ranking leader Marco Kutscher. The first fence caught out several people but not as many as the last fence planks which ended the challenge of ten combinations!
For the second round there were 14 clear over Frank Rothernberger’s course who were joined by the fastest of the four faulters. Of these, Nick Skelton went clear on Carlo which elevated them to seventh from 14th behind the six riders who had managed two clear rounds. When the timed round started, both Sergio Alvares Moya (Action Breaker) and Rolf Goran Bengtsson (Ninja La Silla) had both faulted so Jos Lansink knew a clear round would leave him no worse than fourth. Consequently, as he said confirmed, he rode a more cautious round to be clear in 40.21. Jessica Kurten obviously had no intention of riding for a safe clear on Castle Forbes Libertina and took five seconds off Jos’ time. She had, however, not ridden quite so boldly to the last as she had in Cannes and there was a possibility one of the last two horses could sneak in front. Particularly, when one of those was Shutterfly. Meredith Michaels beerbaum set off in determined style but sadly, the last rail fell which left the German legends below Jos and Jessica. So all Bernardo Alves had to do to win was jump round clear and faster than Jessica. There can have been few among the audience who really believed that outcome was possible, but once they saw Bernardo was going to try really hard on Bridgit to prove everyone wrong, they got behind him and cheered him at every fence. The vocal encouragement worked as Bernardo and the mare he bought from Penelop Leprevost two years ago stop the clock at 35.27 and they had won. Only by .02 but who is counting when it means you have just bagged a 95,000Euro Grand Prix! This result means though that Jessica Kurten has now closed the gap on GCT rankings leader Marco Kutscher to a couple of points and Jos Lansink is now in third. Full details of all these results can be found on the the GCT website www.gloablchampionstour.com
Also in tonight’s press conference GCT President and Founder Jan Tops revealed that the show series would probably be ten shows in 2011 which he would confirm in August and that he was hoping the Pro-Am competition which was such a success last night would be developed and possibly introduced to other shows. The Global Champions Tour moves to Estoril, Portugal for the next leg of the GCT Road to Rio. ~ by Lulu Kyriacou, GCT Press Agent.
Results
Class 6- Grand Prix of Monaco
1. Bernardo Alves (BRA) Brigit, 0,0,0, 35.27, Euro 95’000
2. Jessica Kurten (IRE) Castle Forbes Libertina, 0,0,0, 35.29, Euro57’000
3. Jos Lansink (BEL) Valentina van T’ Heike, 0,0,0, Euro 38’000
4. Meredith Michaels Beerbaum (GER) Shutterfly, 0,0,4, 35.50, Euro 21000
Class 5- Prix Monte Carlo SBM
1. Rodrigo Pessoa(BRA) Palouchin de Ligny, 0,0, 34.79, Euro 8000
2. Alvaro de Miranda Neto (BRA) AD Norson, 0,0, 35.30, Euro 4000
3. Billy Twomey (IRE) Tackeray, 0,0, 36.52, Euro 3000
Quotes
Bernardo Alves -” Today was the third time my horse has seen a course this big, I didn’t know how she would be but she has jumped well this week and after the Grand Prix in Valencia, although I had two down, I had a good feeling. I think this is the best horse I have ever ridden. She is fast, careful and everything you need. I must say the public in Monaco helped me though. As I came to the last, they were cheering and whistling so I knew I must keep going and trust my horse to jump the last.”
Jessica Kurten -”I have to admit that after my error in Cannes which was completely my fault, I remembered what my father was always telling me which was you cannot gallop into every fence. Sometimes you will make it and sometimes, more often, you wont so I was more careful this week and I knew as I jumped the last I would be second but I was expecting Meredith to be the one to beat me! As for Bernardo’s horse, I have been trying to get it from him for the last year, and he wouldn’t sell her to me before today so I think I have no chance now!”
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