Olivier Robert took the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Madrid on the magnificent Vivaldi des Meneaux in a class full of emotion and top-level sport. The French rider also won his first Longines watch of the international tour.
Only two pairs managed to finish without faults in this complicated course designed by Santiago Varela. The Englishman Scott Brash with Hello Jefferson took second place after crossing the timer 2.52 seconds later than his fast rival. Darragh Kenny of Ireland, although he did not make it to the jump-off due to a knockdown in the last fence of the first round, had the best time of the Grand Prix with VDL Cartello, a horse that he has been riding just recently. It was the second bronze of the day for Kenny, who was also on the podium with the Paris Panthers team minutes before.
Olivier Robert, winner of the Longines Global Champions Grand Prix of Madrid.
The most exciting class of the three days of competition and combined 1.60m in height obstacles, technical combinations, wall, water followed by vertical and triple in the final lane, obstacles that put many riders in trouble. The poles fell in 33 trips to the track and three riders were eliminated.
The Shanghai Swans swept the second leg of the Global Champions League. Perfect rounds by German Christian Ahlmann (Dominator 2000 Z) and the Austrian Max Kühner (Elektric Blue P) doubled the success achieved in Doha. In the first leg of the international league, a couple of seconds snatched the gold from the Shanghai Swans, which Valkenswaard United won, but the tables were turned for Marcus Ehning and Peder Fredricson, who will leave the capital in fifth position.
The second on the podium was Madrid in Motion; Maikel van der Vleuten and Beauville Z had a clear round, while his father, Eric, and Wunschkind 19 finished with 4 faults. The host team landed in their city in eighth place, but placed third in the Global Champions League rankings after two splendid days of competition. The Paris Panthers obtained a deserved bronze thanks to the double-clear of Harry Smolders with Bingo du Parc and Darragh Kenny on VDL Cartello.
On May 20th, Eric Lamaze place second in the CSI5* IFEMA Madrid Horse Week 1.45 m Trophy riding Chacco Kid, missing the top spot on the podium by just one hundredth of a second to Jérôme Guery (BEL) and Grupo Prom Milton. The Canadian was competing in this second leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour, two months after winning bronze at the Doha Grand Prix.
~ with files from Oxer Sport
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