Vor historischer Kulisse im Stadio die Marmi, umrahmt von 59 Marmorstatuen, inmitten der italienischen Hauptstadt Rom, zeigte die 13. Etappe der Longines Global Champions Tour einmal mehr, wie Tradition und hochmoderner Springsport zusammenpassen können. Tausende frenetisch feiernde Zuschauer konnten die weltweit höchstdotierte Serie bei freiem Eintritt genießen.

Sie sahen Springreiter der Weltklasse und erlebten im Longines Grand Prix von Rom einen Wettbewerb, der einmal mehr vom Schweden Rolf-Göran Bengtsson mit seinem Hengst Casall Ask beherrscht wurde. Mit dem zweiten Platz auf Fit for Fun sicherte sich Luciana Diniz (Portugal) eine gute Ausgangsposition für den Kampf um den Gesamtsieg der Serie. Marcus Ehning (Deutschland) wurde Dritter – ein hervorragendes Ergebnis mit einem äußerst interessanten Pferd. Sein zehn Jahre alter Hengst Comme il fault hat von seinem Elternpaar beste Gene in die Wiege gelegt bekommen. Er stammt ab von Cornet Obolensky und Ratina Z, der früheren Olympiasiegerin von Ludger Beerbaum.

Fünf Reiter hatten mit ihren Pferden das Stechen erreicht. Ein interessantes Quintett. Alle wollten sie den Siegercheck in Höhe von 100 000 Euro mitnehmen. Und einige überzogen auf dem langen Weg ins Ziel: Alberto Michan Halbiger (Mexiko) begann, er hatte den Fehler am letzten Sprung; Denis Lynch (Irland) machte den Fehler am vorletzten Sprung. Dann Lucina Diniz, sie ritt klug und souverän wie immer (0/38 Sekunden) – und holte sich damit Punkte für das Ranking der Serie. Danach Altmeister Rolf-Göran Bengtsson auf seinem Weltklasse-Partner, dem bereits 16 Jahre alten Hengst Casall Ask (0/37,87). Er ging in Führung und wartete in Ruhe ab. Zwei fehlten noch, die beide ebenso schnell sein konnten. Penelope Leprevost (Frankreich), Gewinnerin der LGCT-Etappe von Cannes auf Vagabond de la Pomme (0/39.02), langsamer als Bengtsson. Und zum Schluss Marcus Ehning. Er überreitzte sein Pferd nicht, ritt flüssig. Die Uhr blieb nach fehlerfreier Runde bei 38.82 Sekunden stehen.

Die Sommersonne brannte vom Himmel, als der italienische Parcourschef Ulliano Vezzani die 50 Reiter in die erste Runde schickte. 20 Paare blieben fehlerfrei, Beobachter prognostizierten bereits eine hohe Zahl an Stech-Teilnehmern im mit 300 000 Euro dotierten LGCT-Großen Preis. Doch weit gefehlt: Die langen Wege, die schwierigen Distanzen und die kurze erlaubte Zeit produzierten Fehler, sodass nur fünf Reiter mit ihren Pferden auch in Runde zwei wieder ohne Fehler blieben. Die vier deutschen Reiter waren beispielgebend für ihre Kollegen: Christian Ahlmann hatte einen ärgerlichen Zeitfehler, bei Marco Kutscher fiel die Stange an Hindernis eins, bei Ludger Beerbaum am Aussprung der Kombination. Nur Marcus Ehning zeigte, wie immer in beispiellosem Stil, eine Null-Runde.

Für den weiteren Verlauf der Serie, die noch die Etappen in Wien (17. bis 20. September Vienna Masters ) und Doha (12. bis 14. November) fasst, war es wichtig, dass Luciana Diniz, bisher zweitplatzierte im Ranking, in Abwesenheit des führenden Scott Brash (276 Punkte/Großbritannien) ihren Punkterückstand aufholen konnte. Sie enttäuschte nicht – und hat jetzt 256 Zähler. Dritter ist jetzt im Ranking Rolf-Göran Bengtsson mit 222 Punkten.

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Quelle: Pressemeldung

Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) has dramatically closed the gap on Scott Brash (GBR) and Luciana Diniz (POR) in the 2015 championship race after clinching a scorching victory at the debut Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Rome.

Next to Rome’s Olympic Stadium and in a unique arena surrounded by classical marble statues, the gladiators of show jumping thrilled thousands of fans who lined the natural amphitheatre to cheer on the world’s top riders.

Stadio dei Marmi, Rom. © Stefano Grasso/LGCT

The final podium of the €300,000 Grand Prix was truly world class. Rolf took first place in emphatic style with the extraordinarily consistent stallion Casall ASK. Luciana Diniz and Fit for Fun finished second with Germany’s Marcus Ehning in third position.

German champion Marcus described the venue as “unbelievable” for show jumping and images of the location were beamed around the world to fans of the sport online and on TV.

Today’s result means that three top riders are now locked in a fierce battle at the final two events of the season for the overall championship. Current ranking leader Scott Brash is only 11 points ahead of Luciana and she in turn is only three points ahead of Rolf. As the final stages of the 2015 championship unfold, only the best eight scores of the leading riders will count to the final total. And a fascinating contest is opening up between Christian Ahlmann of Germany of 234 points and Simon Delestre of France on 229 points.

Passionate fans lined the arena throughout the day to see top-level sport in the capital city as Longines Global Champions Tour continues to bring the sport to new audiences around the world. City dignitaries and officials from the Italian National Olympic Committee hailed the first edition of the Tour in Rome as a huge success in the week Rome bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games. It was standing room only as fans packed the grandstands to catch a glimpse of the top riders in the world. Those who arrived early were treated to a spectacular view of the highly sophisticated purpose-built sand arena, as 50 combinations from 23 different countries took to the course designed by Uliano Vezzani (ITA).

The first round saw many of the early contenders fall short of the challenge set by Uliano, as the tricky but fair course tested the best combinations in the world. The challenge lay with keeping the horses switched on to the last fence, with a formidable layout of the final three fences on the home run. With the course set at the full 1,60m throughout, the first part of the double at fence five caught out a few Grand Prix title hopefuls. However a total of 20 riders sailed through clear, with combinations such as Ludger Beerbaum (GER) and Chiara 222, Constant Van Paesschen (BEL) and Citizenguard Taalex, Audrey Coulter (USA)with Capital Colnardo and Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) and VDL Groep Verdi Tn N.O.P. raising the bar of the competition.

The second round showcased a straightforward but big course, with Uliano Vezzani utilising the full length of the arena to encourage a fast pace. Calculated at 370 meters a minute, the time allowed was 71 seconds in total which proved costly to Christian Ahlmann (GER) and Epleaser van’t Heike who jumped clear but uncharacteristically picked up one time fault. It was a dramatic second round which saw a couple of riders have the first fence down, including last LGCT Grand Prix winner Marco Kutscher (GER). The second round also featured a different treble combination, including a full height vertical and a challenging fence immediately off the corner with a tight turn before an option of two gates.

Riders such as José Maria Larocca (ARG), Kamal Abdullah Bahamdan (KSA), Jur Vrieling (NED) and Lauren Hough were unable to jump clear into the final round and the temperature rose as a total of six went through to the jump off.

The bar was set, and Mexico’s Alberto Michán Halbinger was the first to jump with his bay stallion Camilo LS La Silla, setting the pace at 39.24s but had an unlucky fence down. Denis Lynch (IRL) and the expressive All Star 5 followed suit with four faults despite a better tine of 39.06s. Luciana Diniz (POR) and Fit For Fun 13 completed a stunning clear round, the first of the clears and set the pace at 38.00s exactly. Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) was next in and rode a masterful clear round with Casall ASK and lighting up the time sheets to the cheers of the crowd as he crossed the finish in 37.87s. The galloping track suited Pénélope Leprevost with her bay 10 year old stallion Vagabond de la Pomme, but she was unable to better the time, and went clear in 39.02s, finishing in 4th place. All eyes were on supreme talent Marcus Ehning (GER) and Comme il faut as he was the last to go, and the crowd and VIP guests were on the edge of their seat as he came home in 38.32s, just fractions away from Luciana.

It was another win for Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) who has had a formidable season with his second Grand Prix title of 2015 with Casall ASK. The Tour now moves to Vienna for the penultimate Grand Prix of the year.

Jan Tops, President and Founder of Longines Global Champions Tour: „This is one of those events where it is difficult to describe how beautiful it is. The setting is unique, it is iconic and beautiful and our team did an amazing job for the horses with the facilities and not to forget the crowd, I did not expect to get such a crowd for our first year, they acknowledged and really cheered on everyone.

„I want to thank Vittorio [Orlandi] for his belief that we could be here. To get the chance to be here and for the Global Champions Tour to be in this iconic place, thank you very much. I would also like to thank the Italian Federation who have been very supportive to us being here especially Vittorio, he has been a horseman for many years, I know him as a long time friend, and he has been very supportive to have us here in this amazing place.

„Also, he’s one of the biggest artists of the show, the course builder Uliano, we have had incredible sport again with the right numbers in the jump off, good for the horses, good riders are now on the podium, it’s an incredible package of riders with us here again and you can only do that if you have a very good course builder.

“After this weekend it is getting more and more exciting, Rolf is here again and the Championships are getting so close.  Scott is still in the lead but right on his tail is Luciana and Rolf and they still have a chance to win so it will be very very tight for the final in Doha.“

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Source: Press Release