No fewer than 12 combinations qualified for the jump-off of the 1.60m Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Vienna. Five of them managed to keep a clean sheet in the second round. Philipp Weishaupt went ‘all in’ and ultimately jumped to victory with the nine-year-old Kilmister (Diarado).
Weishaupt now holds the golden ticket. “This does bring some challenges,” reacted Christian Kukuk afterwards. “We now have three riders from our GCL team selected for the Super Grand Prix, and it will be difficult to decide which horse each will ride with that ultimate Grand Prix in mind!”
“My horse is only nine years old,” said Weishaupt after his win. “I think he was actually the youngest in the field. But we built him up carefully this week towards this Grand Prix. Kilmister is a horse with a lot of blood. I rode him once already this morning so that I could ride the Grand Prix in control. When you ride him, you really feel that he understands what’s going on!”
Harrie Smolders and Monaco settled for second place after putting pressure on the competition, with only Weishaupt managing to beat their time. Together with the 16-year-old gelding Monaco (Cassini II), Smolders was just over a second slower than the German rider.
“What a fantastic horse!” said Smolders. “The level of this Grand Prix was immense. You could tell by the number of clear rounds. I had to be very precise, and I was lucky to be able to rely on Monaco’s experience. Now the focus is on Rome, and then we’ll see what the rest of the season brings,” he concluded.
The podium was completed by Bertram Allen with the nine-year-old BWP gelding Qonquest de Rigo (Fantomas de Muze).
Riding U. Goossens’ homebred gelding, the Irishman stayed ahead of Peder Fredricson with Alcapone des Carmille (Diamant de Semilly). Fernando Martinez Sommer and the KWPN gelding Joep (Otangelo) rounded out the top five.
