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Global Champions Tour and Global Champions League Conclude with Thrilling Playoffs in Prague
The “Playoffs” in Prague brought together the top riders from the Global Champions Tour and the sister series Global Champions League. The team final saw the victory of the “Riesenbeck International” team, led by the three riders in the Beerbaum stable: Christian Kukuk, Philipp Weishaupt, and Eoin McMahon.
Julian Epaillard, a Frenchman, clinched the “Super Grand Prix,” surpassing all the winners of the Grand Prix of the Global Champions Tour, with Henrik von Eckermann from Sweden following closely behind.
The best-placed German rider was Katrin Eckermann, who secured seventh place in the competition. The event showcased remarkable performances, and the Riesenbeck International team emerged triumphant in the team final.
The Global Champions Tour and the Global Champions League team series concluded their season at the CSI5* event in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, after 15 stages. For several years, Dutch tour boss Jan Tops has been inviting the best from both series to the playoffs in Prague.
The playoffs take place in the massive O2 Arena in the Czech capital, offering substantial prize money for the riders. Nowhere else in equestrian sports is over eleven million euros paid out in a single weekend.
Riesenbeck Takes the Prize in the FEI Nations Cup Final
Eleven of the twelve teams that competed in the first qualifier again competed in the second. The top six teams from the semifinals contested the final. Italian Uliano Vezzani was to create the two courses.
Accompanied by team manager Ludger Beerbaum, Eoin McMahon of the Riesenbeck International team, with Mila from the Oldenburg International breeding association, and Philipp Weishaupt of the Westphalian Zineday, both performed flawlessly in both rounds.
Christian Kukuk suffered two drops, and the Westphalian gelding Checker, thus the three Riesenbeckers, ended up with eight penalty points.
The “Valkenswaard United” team experienced a setback, but the Riesenbeckers secured triumph with better times of 210.36 seconds in round two. They claimed victory and a prize of 2.5 million euros.
Valkenswaard United, featuring Marcus Ehning with Stargold (double zero), John Whitaker with Equine America Unic Du France, and the Belgian Gilles Thomas with Luna, suffered a costly loss.
Their three-second slower performance meant a million euros less in prize money, though 1.5 million is still considered an impressive amount. The “Paris Panthers,” comprising the Belgian Gregory Wathelet, the Dutch Harrie Smolders, and the Brit Ben Maher, secured third place with 20 penalty points.
Super Grand Prix: A Test of Skill and Determination
The decision about the victory in the “Super Grand Prix” was made one day before the team final. Fifteen winners of the Grand Prix of the Global Champions Tour, or the replacements for doubly qualified riders, competed in this test to pursue prize money of 1,250,000 euros. Germany had the highest representation with five pairs.
The “Super Grand Prix” comprised two rounds. Seven couples completed the round without any errors, while eight couples each had one drop. Unfortunately, Philipp Weishaupt was the unlucky person, receiving twelve penalty points with his Hanoverian Coby.
The gelding also performed below his potential in the second round, leading Weishaupt to give up after two mistakes. It was certainly not Coby’s weekend.
Jumping World Cup Finals and Global Champions League Finals to be Held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
No pair completed two error-free rounds. Seven pairs received four penalty points each, including Katrin Eckermann with the Westphalian mare Cala Mandia. However, she finished seventh because she was too slow in the second round, clocking at 62.68 seconds.
Their compatriots Christian Kukuk with Checker had eight penalty points, Christian Ahlmann with Mandato van de Neerheide had 16, and David Will with My Prins van Doerperheide had 17 penalty points, performing even worse.
The Frenchman Julien Epaillard secured victory with a lightning-fast time of 57.49 seconds in the second round. He pushed Henrik von Eckermann, the number one in the world rankings, to second place.
The Swede had led with his top horse King Edward until the fast Frenchman, the last starter, shattered all dreams of victory. Max Kühner, in third place, required three seconds more, a significant difference on the narrow, fast indoor course.
Next year, Riyadh will host two premier sporting events in 2024: the jumping and dressage World Cup finals in the spring and the Global Champions and League finals in the fall. The “playoffs” will no longer occur in Prague but will take place in the capital of Saudi Arabia.
My name is Krishanu Das the founder of the Sports Dribble.
I am Accountant by profession but a Sports Blogger by passion.
I am passionate about sharing my all knowledge and experiences of sports, with my readers and every sports enthusiast.
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