The pinnacle class of Friday at the London International Horse Show was the CSI5*-W 1.60m London Grand Prix – a competition counting for the Longines Rankings group B – which saw 35 of the world’s best horse and rider combinations go head-to-head for the €110,000 prize fund. Bernardo Costa Cabral’s masterfully designed course created challenges throughout, with several leading contenders - including the likes of world no. 2 Steve Guerdat - picking up faults at the imposing triple bar at fence three.
It was not until last year’s winning duo, Daniel Coyle (IRL) and Legacy (Chippendale Z x Bon Ami) as thirteenth to go, that a clear round was posted. World no. 1, Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) made sure of a jump-off with Iliana (Cardento x Gentleman), closely followed by Denmark’s Andreas Schou on Billy Matador (Billy Mexico x Animo) and Mariano Martinez Bastida from Spain on Jup (Carrera VDL x Siverstone). World no. 9 Martin Fuchs (SUI) on Commissar Pezi (Commissario x Böckmann's Lord Pezi) and last to go, Katharina Rhomberg (AUT) on Colestus Cambridge (Colestus x Cambridge) made it a total of six riders to go through to the second round to compete for the prestigious London Grand Prix title.
First to contest the shortened course against the clock was defending champion Coyle. The Irishman set out meaning business, giving every effort to retain his title, but picked up four faults on the way. Von Eckermann showed why he has retained the world no. 1 position for 29 successive months posting the first double clear and setting a time to beat of 37.97 seconds.
Martinez Bastida put on an impressive performance aboard the 10-year-old gelding Jup to take over the lead almost a second faster than von Eckermann. Switzerland’s Fuchs came close with another beautifully ridden round, but his time of 37.63 seconds was only enough for provisional second. Last into the arena, Rhomberg wasn’t able to match the precision and pace set by Martinez Bastida, leaving him to become the first ever Spanish rider to win the London Grand Prix.
A delighted Martinez Bastida said: “It’s incredible, it’s the first 5* Grand Prix that I have won and to win it in a place that is so emblematic of the sport and as historic as London - I’m extremely happy. It’s the most important win of my career so far!”
Talking about his tactics going into the jump-off, he continued: “I have lots of experience with my horse - I have had him for two years - so bearing in mind there were not many in the jump off, I knew that we had the speed and ability to win, and a big stride to make up time between the fences. I knew it was either give it my all, or not at all, so I gave it my all!"
Earlier in the day, the CSI5*-W 1.50m Christmas Tree Speed Stakes - the final speed class of the Show - showcased some of the most exciting riders in the sport. Only the 10 best from the initial round would proceed to the jump-off, so competitors needed to keep an eye on the clock as well as jump clear. By the halfway point, only four partnerships had produced a faultless round, leaving those with a quick four faults anxiously waiting to see if they had done enough. However, another six combinations, including the uncle-and-nephew duo of John and Donald Whitaker, mastered the 12-combination course.
Riders returned in reverse order of merit from the first round, meaning Julien Epaillard (FRA) - World no. 10 and one of the fastest in the sport - was first into the arena with Jappeloup (Calvaro F.C. x Heartbreaker). However, four faults at the Champagne Taittinger-oxer kept him out of the top placings. Next to jump, Darragh Kenny (IRL) with the long-striding gelding Chaccossini (Chacco-Blue x Cassini II) set the pressure on the remaining combinations with a time of 33.13 seconds. None of the remaining riders could match Kenny’s pace; however, Donald Whitaker (GBR) on Ulania 3 (Uriko x Acord II) came closest to Kenny’s time to claim second place, with last year’s class winner Lorenzo de Luca (ITA) taking third with Promise Z (Geston Priamus Z x Graf Grannus). John Whitaker (GBR) on Sharid (Toulon x Vanouleurs) and Ben Maher (GBR) on Point Break (Action-Breaker x Balou du Rouet) rounded out the top five, taking fourth and fifth places, respectively.
Speaking after the class, Kenny said: “I was quite worried I wasn’t going to make it into the second round as I hadn’t done the turn to the last line that most people did, and that left me quite slow, so in the second round I thought I’d better do the opposite! He has a huge stride, so I could do one less in the first line, one less across the middle, which nobody else was able to do, and one less to the last - he’s very careful and he’s very brave, so you can rely on him.”
On Chaccossini, Kenny continued: “This is my second show with him - I took him to one CSI2* show where he won the ranking class and then I brought him here. He’s a really cool horse, he’s fun, he’s easy to ride, he’s not complicated at all, so I’m really enjoying him.”
It was not until last year’s winning duo, Daniel Coyle (IRL) and Legacy (Chippendale Z x Bon Ami) as thirteenth to go, that a clear round was posted. World no. 1, Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) made sure of a jump-off with Iliana (Cardento x Gentleman), closely followed by Denmark’s Andreas Schou on Billy Matador (Billy Mexico x Animo) and Mariano Martinez Bastida from Spain on Jup (Carrera VDL x Siverstone). World no. 9 Martin Fuchs (SUI) on Commissar Pezi (Commissario x Böckmann's Lord Pezi) and last to go, Katharina Rhomberg (AUT) on Colestus Cambridge (Colestus x Cambridge) made it a total of six riders to go through to the second round to compete for the prestigious London Grand Prix title.
First to contest the shortened course against the clock was defending champion Coyle. The Irishman set out meaning business, giving every effort to retain his title, but picked up four faults on the way. Von Eckermann showed why he has retained the world no. 1 position for 29 successive months posting the first double clear and setting a time to beat of 37.97 seconds.
Martinez Bastida put on an impressive performance aboard the 10-year-old gelding Jup to take over the lead almost a second faster than von Eckermann. Switzerland’s Fuchs came close with another beautifully ridden round, but his time of 37.63 seconds was only enough for provisional second. Last into the arena, Rhomberg wasn’t able to match the precision and pace set by Martinez Bastida, leaving him to become the first ever Spanish rider to win the London Grand Prix.
A delighted Martinez Bastida said: “It’s incredible, it’s the first 5* Grand Prix that I have won and to win it in a place that is so emblematic of the sport and as historic as London - I’m extremely happy. It’s the most important win of my career so far!”
Talking about his tactics going into the jump-off, he continued: “I have lots of experience with my horse - I have had him for two years - so bearing in mind there were not many in the jump off, I knew that we had the speed and ability to win, and a big stride to make up time between the fences. I knew it was either give it my all, or not at all, so I gave it my all!"
Earlier in the day, the CSI5*-W 1.50m Christmas Tree Speed Stakes - the final speed class of the Show - showcased some of the most exciting riders in the sport. Only the 10 best from the initial round would proceed to the jump-off, so competitors needed to keep an eye on the clock as well as jump clear. By the halfway point, only four partnerships had produced a faultless round, leaving those with a quick four faults anxiously waiting to see if they had done enough. However, another six combinations, including the uncle-and-nephew duo of John and Donald Whitaker, mastered the 12-combination course.
Riders returned in reverse order of merit from the first round, meaning Julien Epaillard (FRA) - World no. 10 and one of the fastest in the sport - was first into the arena with Jappeloup (Calvaro F.C. x Heartbreaker). However, four faults at the Champagne Taittinger-oxer kept him out of the top placings. Next to jump, Darragh Kenny (IRL) with the long-striding gelding Chaccossini (Chacco-Blue x Cassini II) set the pressure on the remaining combinations with a time of 33.13 seconds. None of the remaining riders could match Kenny’s pace; however, Donald Whitaker (GBR) on Ulania 3 (Uriko x Acord II) came closest to Kenny’s time to claim second place, with last year’s class winner Lorenzo de Luca (ITA) taking third with Promise Z (Geston Priamus Z x Graf Grannus). John Whitaker (GBR) on Sharid (Toulon x Vanouleurs) and Ben Maher (GBR) on Point Break (Action-Breaker x Balou du Rouet) rounded out the top five, taking fourth and fifth places, respectively.
Speaking after the class, Kenny said: “I was quite worried I wasn’t going to make it into the second round as I hadn’t done the turn to the last line that most people did, and that left me quite slow, so in the second round I thought I’d better do the opposite! He has a huge stride, so I could do one less in the first line, one less across the middle, which nobody else was able to do, and one less to the last - he’s very careful and he’s very brave, so you can rely on him.”
On Chaccossini, Kenny continued: “This is my second show with him - I took him to one CSI2* show where he won the ranking class and then I brought him here. He’s a really cool horse, he’s fun, he’s easy to ride, he’s not complicated at all, so I’m really enjoying him.”