On the final day of the London International Horse Show, the Turkish Airlines Grand Prix was a highlight of the international jumping programme. The 1.60m class, counting for the Longines Ranking, attracted top riders from across the globe and delivered a thrilling spectacle, with a jump-off separating the winners from the rest.
Victory went to Irish rider Tom Wachman, who produced a faultless first round with Do It Easy (Vigo Cece) in 66.85 seconds and then kept a clear in the jump-off in a blistering 32.59 seconds. The performance left the competition well behind and confirmed him as one of the youngest winners ever.
Second place went to Canada’s Kara Chad with Igor GPH (Harley). The pair jumped clear in the opening round in 67.50 seconds and stopped the clock at 33.64 seconds in the jump-off, just behind the winner but securing a strong podium finish.
Austria’s Max Kühner, who claimed the World Cup victory in London earlier this week, took bronze with Greece 5 (Mylord Carthago HN) after a smooth clear round in 65.31 seconds, followed by another faultless jump-off in 34.14 seconds.
Britain’s John Whitaker finished fourth with Equine America Unick du Francport (Zandor). They delivered a clear first round in 69.86 seconds, but four faults in the jump-off in 35.39 seconds kept them off the podium.
The top five was completed by Dutch rider Kim Emmen aboard Helix du Seigneur (Curby du Seigneur). They produced a clear round in 69.15 seconds, but picked up four penalties in the jump-off in 36.26 seconds—still a creditable performance in a strong international field.
