Prague GCL Tremendous Cup and Tremendous Grand Prix

We loved 4 days of world-class showjumping in Prague, Czech Republic, this week, with the 2022 Longines World Champions Tour season drawing to a sensational shut with the Tremendous Grand Prix and World Champions League (GCL) Tremendous Cup group match offering an amazing spectacle. In Las Vegas, there was a milestone win for a younger US rider and a podium Nations Cup end for Eire in Portugal. Listed below are simply among the highlights from the previous week’s worldwide showjumping motion, plus showjumping outcomes.

The most effective kiss and cry celebration

Miami Celtics got here out prime in a fierce battle for the GCL Tremendous Cup on the Prague Playoffs, with jubilant supporters erupting on the kiss and cry (primary picture prime) as 23-year-old Swiss rider Edouard Schmitz nailed their victory with a transparent underneath immense stress.

“My knees are nonetheless shaking,” mentioned the Celtics’ under-25 rider, who rode Gamin Van’t Naastveldhof (pictured beneath). “While you go into the ring realizing you need to ship a transparent, it’s troublesome however if you’re underneath stress generally you carry out higher. You want for days like this.”

His team-mates in Prague had been Irish riders Bertram Allen on Pacino Amiro and Michael G Duffy using Clitschko 17.

“To complete with a win shouldn’t be one thing I believe any of us anticipated,” mentioned Michael. “We actually fought laborious all week and we’ve got three wonderful championship horses – we definitely wouldn’t be sitting right here with out them. My coronary heart was in my mouth watching Edouard! I didn’t make his job the best [adding eight faults] however he received caught in, he didn’t depart something to probability and what a trip from him and Bertram.”

Milestone success for Lillie Keenan

US rider Lillie Keenan, 26, received her first Longines FEI World Cup qualifier in Las Vegas using the 11-year-old Dutch-bred stallion Agana Van Het Gerendal Z (pictured above). Victory got here after a six-way jump-off the place she beat the earlier week’s Toronto winner Daniel Coyle, this time using the nine-year-old Ivory TCS, by simply 0.16sec.

“I’ve taught myself that after I go later [in the start order] to only stroll my course, take into consideration my plan and persist with it,” mentioned Lillie. “I do know Daniel’s actually quick. I didn’t must see him do it to know that I’d should do every part I may to attempt to beat him.”

Conor Swail regained the lead within the North American League World Cup standings after his Eleventh-place end.

Deusser is left speechless after LGCT Tremendous Grand Prix success

THE curtain closed on the 2022 Longines World Champions Tour (LGCT) with a convincing victory for German celebrity Daniel Deusser and the quirky however supremely proficient chestnut Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z in Saturday’s 1.65m LGCT Tremendous Grand Prix on the Prague Playoffs within the Czech Republic.

“I’m speechless about how my horse carried out tonight – I believe he underestimated a bit the peak of the fences however he actually tried his coronary heart out,” mentioned Daniel, who took residence a staggering prime prize of simply over €300,000 after the two-round competitors.

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Jessica Springsteen is the velocity queen

On the ESP Pre-Charity CSI3* in Wellington, Florida, Jessica Springsteen (pictured above) triumphed within the $37,000 Elite Horse Transport 1.45m velocity class using Stone Hill Farm’s nine-year-old mare Naomi Van Het Keizershof (Cardento x For Pleasure), whom she’s had for 3 years.

“I believe she is admittedly particular,” mentioned Jessica. “She has taken a bit of bit extra time however is tremendous cautious and could be very aggressive. I’m hoping to step her up and put her in a few the smaller grand prix courses this season.”

Oakingham Stud achieves additional worldwide success

Profitable the grand prix qualifier on the ESP Pre-Charity CSI3* present in Wellington, Florida, was US rider Alison Robitaille with the Oakingham Stud-produced mare Oakingham Lira (pictured above), now owned by Alison Firestone.

“My aim early final yr was to be leaping the three-stars by the tip of this yr, so that is actually nice,” mentioned the rider. “I’m simply so proud of how my horse feels; we’ve been constructing our partnership all yr lengthy. After strolling in as we speak, we actually really feel like a group.”

Oakingham Stud owns Ben Maher’s championship medal-winning Faltic HB and Lira was produced by the stud’s Mackenzie Ray and Shane O’Reilly earlier than going abroad, teaming up along with her present rider at the beginning of this yr.

Swiss riders end 1st, 2nd, third, 4th and fifth in Italian grand prix

Remarkably, within the CSI2* grand prix in Gorla Minore, Italy, this week, the highest 5 placings had been stuffed by Swiss riders. The victor after an 18-strong jump-off was Pius Schwizer using Cassalino, chased residence by his team-mates Barbara Schnieper with Innok, Roger Umnus (Cupido), Jean-Maurice Brahier using Caracoles, with Steve Guerdat in fifth on Hubba Bubba.

Eve Jobs’ ‘unbelievable’ stallion makes a successful comeback

Irish rider Darragh Kerrins landed the $137,000 NoltrexVet grand prix on the CSI3* present in Wellington, Florida, with the 11-year-old Holstein stallion Lissino, owned by Eve Jobs.

“I’ve been using him on and off for the final two years,” mentioned Darragh (pictured in motion above). “He truly had a small damage round this time final yr and just about missed the entire yr. We began bringing him again to leaping on the finish of August. He has come again feeling higher than ever; he feels unbelievable.

“I didn’t know what to anticipate after watching everybody else go within the first spherical, however he gave me every part as we speak, he’s an unbelievable horse,” mentioned Darragh, certainly one of solely two riders from a subject of 33 to leap clear in spherical one. “Once I walked the course as we speak, it positively walked laborious however I didn’t suppose it was going to prove that troublesome. The time allowed was an enormous challenge and within the mixture line you could possibly both do a seven or an eight, so there have been choices in all places.”

Nations Cup podium for Eire

Within the CSIO3* Nations Cup held at Villamoura Champions Tour, Portugal, France got here out winners, chased residence by USA and Eire’s squad of Trevor Breen (Germaine W), David Simpson on Indian High quality Z, Alexander Butler with Coolivio PS and Richard Howley on Fame. Nice Britain’s quartet completed Eleventh after narrowly lacking the minimize for spherical two. William Fletcher and Ginadina PP had been among the many CSI3* particular person winners on this week’s competitions.

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