The freak storm which nearly ruined the previous day’s proceedings had passed and the Monaco crowd warmed up on Grand Prix day with a 1.50m jump off class. This was sponsored by the Gulf Horizon Group partners in the new friendship initiative with whom the GCT are working to promote better cultural relations between the UAE, middle east and the rest of the world using the Tour as a vehicle. All of the high prize winners from the previous day made it to the jump off so an exciting finish was expected and did not disappoint. Twelve got through to the jump off over a twisty course and newly married Marcus Ehning set the standard high the pace maker with a clear in 34.75 but he only held the lead for a few seconds.
Last night’s winner Harry Smoulders is clearly a man on fire and belted round on Exquis Powerfee in 33.88 and despite Gianni Govonni’s typical hell bent for leather ride, he was slower. Govonni completed the course in 34 seconds flat but it was only good enough for second place to Harry who now has the distinction of being the first rider on the 2009 Tour to win two classes at the same show. With another 8000Euro in the kitty what was Harry going to do with the money? “Well, I would quite like one of those yachts” he said pointing at the glittering array in Port Hercule, “but I think even if I win the Grand Prix as well it will only be enough for a very small one, maybe the dinghy… Actually my groom says I must give her the money to buy some new things for the horses.”
Harry was also clear in the first round of the Grand Prix which produced nine completely clean sheets, five with one time penalty and a quartet of fast four faulters. Frank Rothenberger’s first round course had caused trouble all over it but a flimsy ornamental gate at 6 and a double towards the collecting ring at three were probably the worst culprits for thinning the field down. As usual Frank made much use of combinations heading directly towards the crowd but in the second he tried a trick more used by eventers and more or less reversed the course. Fence 2, an oxer off a turn was by far the fence most responsible for stopping people reaching the jump off and it took a Grand Prix rookie horse to leave everything up.
Jessica Kurten who is not new to the Tour had decided to jump Castle Forbes Myrtille Poulais who had never started in Grand Prix before. Carrying one time fault, Jessica was the first to go completely clear in this
round. It was looking as if one penalty would be good enough to win until the last five riders in produced four more clean sheets and a third timed jump off was on. You could not have wished for a more exciting collection of riders to go against the clock. Alvaro de Miranda and Rodrigo Pessoa to represent Brazil, Richard Spooner for the USA and John Whitaker for Great Britain had probably won most major titles between them and the jump off lacked nothing in nail biting excitement.
Richard Spooner went first and the ‘master of faster’ as he is known, did seem to have left a little bit of room for the others when Cristallo stopped the clock at 35.46. But Rodrigo’s Lets Fly who had beaten Richard in the Grand Prix of Rome could not repeat the feat here, over a second slower. The Rio organiser ‘Doda’ de Miranda had a crack on his good mare AD Picolien Zeldenrust who has only just returned to full fitness after the Olympic Games and beat his compatriot, but still could not catch the American. Last to go was John Whitaker on the giant Irish bred Casino, winner of a speed class with son Robert in Zurich who used every inch of guile and did beat the time but sadly the last fence had fallen, leaving Richard Spooner successful defender of the title he won last year.
“I certainly can’t complain about anything at this show, especially now I have won, it is a great event. I think Jan and CN who are the title sponsors have done a great thing getting shows like this together. As for
Cristallo, he can get a bit cranky but for the seven months my wife has been doing all the homework, I just show him, he has gone a lot better since I turned the ride over to her.”
The Global Champions Tour now moves to Estoril, Portugal for the sixth leg on the road to Doha. The GCT rankings are now headed by Patrick McEntee of Belgium, 7th tonight on Ever Mury Marais Z, a mare home bred by owner and GCT Sponsor, Catherine de Buyl.
Results
Class 5
Horse – Rider – Owner – Prize – Class Results
Exquis Powerfee – Harry Smolders (NED) – Eurohorse bvba – 8000 – 0.00 0.00 33.88
Joyau D’Opal – Gianni Govoni (ITA) – Renato Casiroli/Govoni/Raisi – 4000 – 0.00 0.00 34.00
For Germany – Marcus Ehning (GER) – Robert Diestel-Stiftung – 3000 – 0.00 0.00 34.75
Commissario – Julien Epaillard (FRA) – La Bosqueterie – 2000 – 0.00 0.00 35.57
Sultano – John Whitaker (GBR) – H Smith – 1250 – 0.00 0.00 36.39
Randgraaf – Philippe Rozier (FRA) – Christian Baillet SARL FBS – 875 – 0.00 0.00 40.05
Wizzy – Bernardo Alves (BRA) – Haras Jotter – 875 – 0.00 0.00 44.00
Abab Van Het Molenhof – Sergio ALVAREZ MOYA (ESP) – AM Horses – 750 – 0.00 4.00 35.16
Wonderboy III – Ben Maher (GBR) – Ben Maher – 750 – 0.00 4.00 37.58
VDL Groep Union – Eric Van Der Vleuten (NED) – Stoeterij Duyselshof/VD, Vleuten – 750 – 0.00 4.00 39.10
Class 6 – GCT of Monaco Grand Prix
Horse – Rider – Owner – Prize – Class Results
Cristallo – Richard Spooner (USA) – Show Jumping Syndications, Intül – 95000 – 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 35.46
AD Picolien Zeldenrust – Alvaro De Miranda (BRA) – Viviane de Miranda, Alvaro de Miranda – 57000 – 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 36.85
Let’s Fly – Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) – Double H Farm – 38000 – 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 37.20
Casino – John Whitaker (GBR) – Mandy Jane Hall – 21850 – 0.00 0.00 0.00 4.00 35.19
Castle Forbes Myrtille – Jessica Kürten (IRL) – Lady Georgina Forbes – 18050 – 1.00 0.00 1.00 67.39
Ulysse – Pius Schwizer (SUI) – Leiser Francois – 9500 – 0.00 1.00 1.00 68.61
Ever Mury Marais Z – Patrick McEntee (BEL) – De Buyl Insurance – 9500 – 4.00 0.00 4.00 60.87
Winconsin – Sergio Alvarez Moya (ESP) – Wilfried Floren – 4750 – 0.00 4.00 4.00 62.17
VDL Groep Tomboy – Eric Van Der Vleuten (NED) – Stoeterij Duyselshof/VD, Vleuten – 4750 – 0.00 4.00 4.00 67.56
Zorro Z – Edwina ALEXANDER (AUS) – Guy Ooms/Stal Tops – 4750 – 1.00 4.00 5.00 65.68
Quotes
Jessica Kurten: “Lady Forbes bought Myrtille as a three year old and started her off quietly in Ireland as she is very sensitive. I only got her the winter before last. She is even frightened of other horses so we have to be really careful with her. But I think you could call her a GCT Baby as she has grown up with the Tour shows, first Valencia with the smaller classes then again in Hamburg and Cannes and now she is doing her first GP and we are completely thrilled with her.”
John Whitaker:”You need a little luck in these things and I had mine in the second round when Casino rubbed one but it stayed put, but you have to give it a go in these sort of classes, that is the way it goes.”
Rodrigo Pessoa: “I am more than pleased with Let’s Fly he is very consistent and I think I am lucky now to have some really good horses again, so I like to think I am on my way back to the top of the rankings.”
Alvaro de Miranda: “My mare has taken a little time to get back to full fitness but she is really there now and it is very exciting to be on the podium in their company. I will not take her to Estoril now, she has done
enough and take straight to Rio.”
Jan Tops: ”It is very important we connect together, not just show jumping but all countries and cultures so I was pleased to become a partner of the Gulf Horizon Group in their friendship initiative because they clearly believe as I do and have the same philosophy. I think we will see beautiful things together and all countries will see how active we are as a team.”
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