Shanghai Swans win GCL stage in London

Riesenbeck International finishes sixth at the John Whitaker Festival

 

 

The British metropolis hosted the ninth stage of the Longines Global Champions Tour and the Global Champions League. Course designer Ulliano Vezzani presented the riders and horses with two difficult rounds. The Shanghai Swans team coped best, followed by the Basel Cosmopolitains and the Mexico Amigos. Riesenbeck International came in sixth place.

 

It was a well-deserved “John Whitaker Festival” in his home country. To celebrate the 70th birthday of the world's oldest active show jumper at international level, spectators and colleagues paid tribute to the show jumping legend at the iconic Royal Hospital Chelsea.  John Whitaker, as modest as ever and loved by all for his skill in the saddle, his experience, and his unfailing friendliness, smiled as he endured the ceremonies. The entire Whitaker clan, including all active tournament riders, was present to witness another tournament start by arguably the world's most admired horseman.

While the rightly titled “old master” started with Sharid in the individual classification of the Global Champions League 1.60-meter show jumping (and finished 15th after one knockdown), the “youngsters” of his team Valkenswaard United (Marcus Ehning, 51, and Gilles Thomas, 27 ) delivered brilliant clear rounds in the second round after a modest first round of the Global Champions League with 16 penalty points. However, neither of them could be satisfied with their eighth place finish.

 

Team Riesenbeck International entered the first round with the stallion riders Maximilian Weishaupt on Zucchero HV and Christian Kukuk on Chageorge. Both pairs made a mistake, leaving them in eighth place in the middle of the field before the decisive second round.

Some teams then changed horses or riders or sent a new pair into the course. Riesenbeck International saw no reason to make any changes in the second round. The motto was: ride safely and clear. Olympic champion Christian Kukuk achieved this in impressive style on Chageorge, while Maximilian Weishaupt had a knockdown at the penultimate obstacle on Zucchero HV.

 

 Ludger Beerbaum, team manager of Riesenbeck International, said: “A podium place was definitely within reach today. We will continue to fight for it at the next stage in Valkenswaard.”

 

Riesenbeck International remains in seventh place in the overall standings.

https://www.gcglobalchampions.com/en-us/gcl/standings