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Global Champions Tour 2015

 

Sumario:

Fans ecstatic as Pénélope Leprevost thrills with patriotic victory, 11-13 Jun 2015 (day three) ***

Ben Maher triumphs during electrifying jump-off in Cannes, 11-13 Jun 2015 (day two) ***

Scott Brash sets the bar high for Grand Prix day in Cannes, 11-13 Jun 2015 (day one) ***

Top riders out in force for special edition in Cannes, 11-13 Jun 2015 ***

 

(Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT)

 

French star Pénélope Leprevost thrilled the home crowd with a turbo-charged patriotic victory in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Cannes tonight.

Pénélope's army of young fans were ecstatic as she powered across the finish line in an eye-popping 36.86, almost a full second ahead of Swedish champion Rolf-Göran Bengtsson on the extraordinary 16 year old stallion Casall Ask.

It was a night of great stories under the multi-coloured lights of the French Riviera arena. In the overall championship race Luciana Diniz has dramatically extended her lead in the ranking after finishing third on Fit For Fun.

Luciana is now on 160 points, a full 50 points ahead of her nearest rival Pius Schwizer on 110 points and Scott Brash on 105 points. Pius, riding Armani The Gun, retired in the Grand Prix and Scott uncharacteristically finished on 8 faults in the first round on Hello M’Lady. Rolf has jumped up the ranking from 10th to 4th place and is on 99 points putting him in serious contention for the championship.

With speed and precision reaching new heights in the Grand Prix jump-off, the winner walked away with 40 crucial ranking points and 99,000 euros for first place.

The championship circuit next heads to Monte-Carlo, Monaco for Leg 7 as the series powers towards its halfway point.

The exhilarating first round began against a backdrop of all the glamour and expectation Cannes evokes. With packed grandstands full of visitors from around the world - including Wladimir Klitschko, the reigning Heavyweight World Champion - the stage was set for the first man on the course, Jerome Hurel (FRA), and his bay stallion Ohm de Ponthual to step into the spotlight. Much to the delight and cheers of the local fans within the crowd, Jerome set the bar high by riding clear around the 1.60m course; a spectacular start to the Grand Prix.

He was quickly followed by Jessica Springsteen (USA) and her mare Lisona, who rode a beautiful round to take the second clear of the evening. However, despite the initially successful start, many riders were soon caught out by the technical up to height course, and the battle intensified to win the 300,000 euro prize. Jessica was joined by Ben Maher (GBR), Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) and ranking leader Luciana Diniz (POR). With silence so intense you could hear a pin drop, Kevin Staut (FRA) took centre stage with his bay mare Elky van het Indihof. As the grandstands held their breath, Kevin rode a powerfully quick round to come home clear and in pole position. With Pénélope Leprevost (FRA) and Ratina d'la Rousserie also riding clear, there would be three French riders competing in second round of the first of their home Grand Prix this season.

The second round saw further intense battle as the top 18 riders battled for a place in the jump-off. Despite their strong start the top three, Kevin Staut (FRA), Jerome Hurel (FRA) and Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) were unable to do the double and the challenging but fair 1.60m course saw just six combinations achieve a clear round, four of whom would earn their position in the jump-off.

It was standing room only as first to go Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) and his bay mare VDL Groep Arera C, completed the round clear once more in 39.97s. Next up was last year's second place position, Luciana Diniz (POR) with her chestnut mare Fit For Fun 13. She raised the bar further by going clear a full two seconds faster and laid down the gauntlet for the final two combinations. Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) was third to go and was able to tighten the turns further still, with the sixteen year old Casall Ask shaving tenths of a second off Luciana's time to take the top spot. Finally, home favourite Pénélope Leprevost (FRA) entered the ring to the cheer of the crowd, with her ten year old bay mare Ratina d'la Rousserie. With baited breath the crowd watched as Pénélope rode a phenomenal clear round and came home in 36.86, almost a full second quicker than her nearest rival.

This is the second Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix Pénélope Leprevost has won in her career, her first being in Vienna in 2012. She claims the full 40 points from the sixth leg of the Tour, and moves up to twenty-sixth in the rankings. Luciana Diniz maintains her lead on the overall championship ranking board, fifty points clear of second place man Pius Schwizer (SUI), with Scott Brash (GBR) just five points behind making the top three.

Pénélope Leprevost, Longines Global Champions Tour of Cannes Grand Prix 1st place: "Ratina is a 10 year-old, freshly arrived at the top level. It’s her fourth Grand Prix, and she went double clear last week in Saint Tropez. She was not supposed to come to the Longines Global Champions Tour of Cannes but we had to change our plans and I decided to bring her with me here. It would have been a shame not to take her! It’s the first time I tried to be really quick with Ratina. She is quite hot so I usually try to calm things down with her and ride her quietly, but this has broken all that careful work!"

Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, Longines Global Champions Tour of Cannes Grand Prix 2nd place: "Going to the last fence I had to wait a little bit but still I’m super happy with my 2nd place today here. Pénélope deserved to win today - it was a very good jump-off as everybody just got faster and faster. Casall has been showing a very consistent level in this Longines Global Champions Tour and I’m very satisfied having a horse like him."

Luciana Diniz, Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Cannes 3rd place and Longines Global Champions Tour ranking leader: "I am very happy to be here, I thank you and congratulations to all the organisers and to Jan once more for this great Longines Global Champions Tour. As I’ve said, I’m very happy, I came here and I saw all these pictures in the whole city of me and I was like oh my gosh, is that pressure or is that good? So I decided to say this is great, I feel great, and I hope I can share this message with everyone to ride with fun and be happy."

Jan Tops, President and Founder of the Longines Global Champions Tour: "You sometimes think things can’t go better but then you see this jump-off, it’s amazing to have everyone going better and better. If you love the sport then you want to see it like this. And of course, our course builder, we must not forget Uliano [Vezzani], who is a genius all the time, I always say he knows exactly how to get the right number and he did it again. I and also riders and owners, we appreciate this very much. These horses are very rare and to keep jumping these big tracks you need a really good course builder and he makes sure that the best one wins and he doesn’t over jump them. Also the way he makes the combinations and the timings I think it’s special, it’s a real feeling and I think he needs big recognition for that.

"Of course I want to thank my partner Francois [Bourey], for the 10th year, who had the trust to start from the beginning for this adventure. We changed the whole sport from the good to the better and he was the big one who believed from the beginning and I want to thank him again for everything."

Sadri Fegaier, Haras des Grillons: "The Longines Global Champions Tour of Cannes is a wonderful show, I’m very proud that Haras des Grillons is able to partner with this unique and beautiful event. Seeing a French rider winning is absolutely amazing."

(Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT)

It was another successful British evening in Cannes with a strong 1 - 2 finish as Ben Maher (GBR) rode Aristo Z to claim the trophy for the Prix E. Leclerc CSI5*, and Scott Brash (GBR) coming a close second with the eleven year old Hello Annie. French favourite Pénélope Leprévost (FRA) took third place after an electrifying jump-off, much to the delight of the packed grandstands throughout the arena.

Under stormy skies and much cooler temperatures, the second day of competition took place with VIP guests from across the world in Cannes for the show jumping spectacular on the French Riviera. Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco took a bit of time off from competing and joined guests to watch tonight's main competition where forty-seven world class combinations took to the floodlit sand arena to complete the 1.50m jump-off class. Bruce Springsteen and his wife Patti were in the VIP the previous evening, watching their daughter Jessica in the feature class of the day.

Pénélope Leprévost (FRA) laid down the gauntlet, riding a careful but accurate first clear round of the competition with her bay mare, Nice Stephanie, triggering patriotic cheers from the local crowd. Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) was the next to ride clear, completing the round with the eleven year old bay Status. Three was the magic number as Scott Brash (GBR) took the third clear of the competition with the eleven year old Hello Annie; once more completing the course with true style. He was closely followed by compatriot Ben Maher (GBR) riding the eleven year old Aristo Z clear to earn his place in the jump-off.

Bertram Allen (IRE) with Quiet Easy 4, Christian Ahlmann (GER) with Reavnir, and Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) with his bay nine year old For Sale 6 all rode clear to take their place in the jump-off.

The atmosphere intensified and the arena was bathed in multiple coloured lights as the seven strong jump-off got underway. The course was shortened and the fences raised to 1.55m for this intense phase of the competition. Pénélope Leprévost (FRA) was once more first to go, and rode a stunning clear round with the fastest pace to the last fence, setting the bar high at 33.83s. Scott Brash (GBR) continued his exceptional form, raising the bar once more with measured brilliance and extraordinary precision to come at 33.77s, and second in the competition. In an incredible twist Christian Ahlmann (GER) matched Pénélope Leprévost's time exactly to 100th of a second. and finishing with identical times. This was extremely unusual with such different horses of height and build, but showcasing the high calibre of talent and skill on show and the intensity of the competition.

Just when the fans thought it couldn't be ridden any quicker, the climax came as Ben Maher (GBR) and his firecracker of a horse lit up the arena to ride clear and take the win in a spectacular time of 32.76s. With just tenths of a second between the top riders, and six of the seven riding a double clear, the stage is set for a thrilling final act in Cannes for Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix.

It was a lively social scene around the arena and the exciting event was watched over by the Mayor of Cannes David Lisnard, who was also joined by French Ministers and the famous French TV presenter and singer-songwriter, Julien Lepers. Monsieur Lisnard praised the high standard of the event and said: "Global Champions Tour is an amazing and magical show and for the City of Cannes it is very important to have this kind of high level international sport."

It will be high stakes in tomorrow's Grand Prix, where ranking leader Luciana Diniz (POR) will be defending her lead. Don't miss our exclusive interview with Luciana Diniz, talks intimately about her philosophy on life, the deep bond with her champion horses and reveals her new charity. The full interview will be live tomorrow via our website: www.globalchampionstour.com.

(Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT)

The current world number one Scott Brash threw down the gauntlet in Cannes with a dramatic win in the big class of the day, three seconds ahead of his nearest rival. It was a blistering start to the first day on the French Riviera which unfolded under idyllic blue skies. As the sun went down, the lights came on for the second of the CSI5*, the 1.50m Prix FFE French Tour Generali, which saw Ben Maher (GBR) take an early lead with his eleven year old gelding Aristo Z. He was soon overtaken by fellow British rider, John Whitaker (GBR) with his beautiful dark bay stallion Argento after they completed a strong clear round in 64.62s. However, both were beaten by their compatriot Scott Brash who delivered an effortlessly smooth and quick round with eleven year mare old Hello Annie, owned by Lady Pauline Kirkham and Lady Pauline Harris. Scott took the win a clear three seconds faster than second place man Julien Epaillard (FRA) with his chestnut stallion Sheriff de la Nutria LM.

Speaking about his win, Scott said: "It's started great to Cannes and I'm really happy as Hello Annie was fantastic here tonight. She's a really useful horse, she jumps the big classes for the first couple of days and these sorts of horses are really useful to have in your string to keep your rankings points up. It's great to see the Brits do well - John rode a great round, as did Ben also - his horse has been off for a while so it's good to see him back, and this result is very good for Britain. I'll ride Hello M'Lady for the Grand Prix - I jumped her earlier today and every day this week, so fingers crossed for Saturday."

Throughout the day, the sixth leg of the championship saw talented young riders including Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco, competing in a string of amateur competitions before the world's best horse and rider combinations took centre stage. With 266 temporary stables set up just a stones throw from the shoreline of the Mediterranean sea, many of the most talented horse and rider combinations in the sport have descended on this classic tour destination for its 10th anniversary year. Course designer Uliano Vezzani described the ambience: "The atmosphere is fantastic. It's a show that I really love and feel a part of because of the atmosphere during the event. We are almost at the mid point of the season and the riders are always the best. For a course designer to design in this location, and with these horses, it's a gift. It's very satisfying but a big commitment to be completely involved - I really love this circuit."

Also speaking about the set up in Cannes and the sixth leg of the tour, British rider Ben Maher (GBR) said: "This round has been here a few years now, and it's probably one of my favourites. It's always good to come here, and it's nice to enjoy some time during the afternoon relaxing before jumping here in the evening. It's very dramatic under the lights and I've had some good times here."

The first CSI5* class, the Prix BMW Bayern Avenue, took place as dusk fell at 19:00 with 49 riders competing in the 1.45m special two phase. Home favourite Roger-Yves Bost (FRA) set the pace early on, eleventh to start and completing a blindingly quick and accurate clear round with his chestnut mare Sydney Une Prince. His lead of three seconds was then taken by Abdulrahman Al Rajhi (KSA) who rode a beautifully calm but incredibly fast round with his gelding Chicago 84. Despite this being his first competition in Cannes, and only his second experience in the Longines Global Champions Tour championship, Abdulrahman Al Rajhi managed to complete the special two phase round in just 26.44secs, almost two seconds clear of Roger-Yves who came second and Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) who came in third with his bay gelding Vdl Groep Quatro.

Abdulrahman Al Rajhi (KSA) spoke following his win: "I'm very happy as it was the first class I rode in here in Cannes, and it is also only the second time I have competed in the Longines Global Champions Tour championship. I hope that we can win again in the next classes! I am very happy with the way my horse jumped today, he's in good condition and is very relaxed. Sometimes he can get a little nervous, but he jumped very well today so I'm pleased."

Among those competing on the amateur circuit this weekend, local favourite Guillaume Canet (FRA), who commented: "I would prefer to come to Cannes for this show and not the festival! Now when someone asks me if I went to Cannes my first thought is for the competition. I enjoy coming here very much, like most of the Longines Global Champions Tour rounds - it's a great organisation and you have the chance to ride amongst the best riders in the world; it's great."

Keep up to date with all the action via our website www.globalchampionstour.com and through our social media channels.

(Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT)

 

Over two thirds of the Top 30 riders in the world will come out with all guns blazing on the French Riviera for next week’s 10th edition of the Longines Global Champions Tour in Cannes.

The Top 2 ranked riders, Scott Brash (GBR) and Daniel Deusser (GER), will be among those in hot competition in the glamorous Cote d’Azur where Hollywood stars recently paraded on the infamous red carpet on La Croisette.

Current Longines Global Champions Tour overall ranking leader Luciana Diniz (POR) will be determined to hold on to her lead in the thrilling, unfolding championship race. Luciana is in pole position on 125 points, but is only 15 points ahead of Swiss ace Pius Schwizer on 110 points and hot on his heels is the formidable Scott Brash on 105 points.

Pius will want to repeat the success of his victory in Cannes in 2014 and there will be all to play for at the big showdown on Grand Prix night on Saturday. With €300,000 prize money up for grabs and 40 precious ranking points to the winner, the Grand Prix competition will be intense.

The atmosphere in the 75m x 55m sand arena, close to the beautiful bay of Cannes and the famous Croisette, will be electric with thousands of spectators and hundreds of VIP and corporate guests expected. Henrik Von Eckermann (SWE), Bertram Allen (IRE), Christian Ahlmann (GER), Constant van Paesschen (BEL), Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS), Bassem Hassan Mohammed (QAT), Jane Richard Philips (SUI), Jessica Springsteen (USA) and Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) will all be in action. There will be a strong turn out of champion riders including Simon Delestre, Roger-Yves Bost, Penelope Leprevost and Kevin Staut, all representing their country at the first Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of the season on French soil.

The 2015 series kicked off in spectacular fashion in Miami Beach in April and the championship race is already captivating equestrian fans worldwide. As the Tour celebrates its 10th anniversary year, it is also the 10th edition of the event in Cannes at the Stade des Hesperides show ground. Back in 2006, the first year of Global Champions Tour, the Cannes event was the second leg of the series. The Grand Prix was won by Thomas Fruhmann on The Sixth Sense with Nick Skelton in second place on Arko.

The Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Cannes will be broadcast on Eurosport, BeIN Sports and live via GCT TV on www.globalchampionstour.com and also on Equidia, Class Horse TV and Horse and Country TV.

Click here for the latest rider list.