Global Champions Tour Cannes
Rodrigo lets rip to win speed class | Swiss precision delivers victory for Steve Guerdat
Rodrigo lets rip to win speed class
Turbo-charged Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Palouchin won the spectacular speed class at the GCT in Cannes tonight with some breathtaking turns. The Brazilian rider and his ultra quick chestnut gelding achieved a masterful 54.46 with a display of exceptional speed.
Rodrigo desribed Palouchin as a “speed specialist” and said: “This round fitted him well. He is a very competitive horse, very careful, always going forward. Tonight he prevailed. If you wanted to win the way to do it was at the combinations. I knew exactly what I was going to do.”
Rodrigo Pessoa und HH Palouchin © (photo credits: Sportfot/GCT)
Australian rider Edwina Tops-Alexander was the only close challenger going flat out on her talented mare Mel d’Argences and finishing in 54.93. Edwina executed a series of brilliant turns to give her an advantage and was flat out to the final Global Champions Tour oxer.
Edwina, current GCT 2012 ranking leader, said: “She is fast and because she is careful she loses a little bit of time in the air, but she was great tonight.
The exciting speed class was hugely popular in the packed arena at the GCT in Cannes. The crowds cheered as some of the fastest horses in show jumping pirouetted between fences in super tight turns. French rider Philippe Rozier came a fast third on Akita in 55.03 with a crucial turn between the two double combinations.
Under the rules of the Table C class even riders with a fence down could potentially win as four seconds would be added to their total time. The high adrenaline competition was a hit in the arena where the grandstand, VIP lounge and hospitality areas were packed.
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Swiss precision delivers victory for Steve Guerdat
Steve Guerdat showed off some stunning Swiss precision to hit the jackpot in the 1.50m speed class ahead of tomorrow’s GCT Grand Prix in Cannes.
The Swiss rider hit 56.30 on his bay mare Jalisca Solier and never let up on the accelerator during his winning round. Steve said: “I was very fast into the first double. She is a really fast horse and I just rode her home and that was enough.”
Steve Guerdat und Jalisca Solier © (Photo credits: Sportfot/GCT)
The class took the leading riders another step closer to the Grand Prix tomorrow evening and the battle for critical GCT ranking points and the richest prize money in the sport. A full house is expected for the climax of the GCT Cannes, the fifth leg of the 2012 series, close to the glamorous Croisette on the Riviera.
German rider Christian Ahlmann delivered a fast and efficient round finishing second on 59.96 on his bay mare Lorena 11. Popular US rider Laura Kraut came in third in a beautifully ridden round on Canadian-bred Belmont in a time of 57.72. French rider Philippe Rozier came in fourth and talented young rider Alexandra Thornton of Great Britain notched up an impressive fifth place on Quiletta du Domain.
Michael Whitaker joined other elite riders in clocking up 4 faults after having the second to last fence down on the course designed by Uliano Vezzani. One of the closest challenges to the winning time came from French rider Roger-Yves Bost who left the crowd gasping when he had the last fence down.
Quelle: Pressemeldung
