Press Release : LGCT / Photo: Stefano Grasso / LGCT
It was another electrifying jump-off during the second day of the Longines Global Champions Tour of Monaco as John Whitaker (GBR) claimed the top spot with his 10 year old bay mare Ornellaia in the CSI5* Prix de la Federation Equestre de la Principaute de Monaco. As the crowds of fans and VIP guests looked on, just centimetres away from the heart of the action, 41 combinations from 19 different countries lined up to take their turn around the first 1,50m course. With the tight and challenging course testing the agility and speed of the world's best show jumpers ahead of the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Monaco, eight of the riders completed the course clear and went through to the intense jump-off round.
Ben Maher (GBR) was the first to set the bar high in the jump-off, with a blindingly quick round on his beautiful chestnut gelding, the fiery Aristo Z, crossing the line in 34.89s. The crowd watched in anticipation as the remainder of the riders tried to better his phenomenal time, with Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) and his mare Gotha FRH the closest with 35.11s. One of the last to go, John Whitaker (GBR) knew he would have to pull an incredibly quick round out of the bag, and stepped up the pace with his mare Ornellaia, pushing hard between the fences to clinch the win from his compatriot Ben in 34.14s, just seven tenths of a second clear.
The Monaco society was out in force for today’s Longines Global Champions Tour, with the event becoming a leading fixture in the Principality’s social calendar and is under the High Patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco. As dusk fell Princess Caroline of Hannover joined her daughter Charlotte Casiraghi, one of the world’s style icons, for the evening’s feature Pro-Am competition.
Abdelkebir Ouaddar (MOR) and Iñigo Lopez de la Osa Escribano (ESP) galloped to victory to the delight of the crowd for HSBC Private Bank (Monaco) SA as the team competition took place later that evening. The Olympe Capital team of Dietlinde Thomel (MON) and Yazmin Pinchen (GBR) came a close second place as the competition hotted up, with Guillaume Canet (FRA) and Jessica Springsteen (USA) of team Gucci Kids taking the third spot. With sixteen teams competing in the 1,10m / 1,30m relay, the competition drew gasps and cheers from the packed audience as the amateur and professional combination riders battled it out against the clock for a dramatic finale of the second day's competition during the Longines Global Champions Tour of Monaco.
Charlotte, Hon. President of the event in Monaco, said: “Monaco is very fortunate to have such an event as the Longines Global Champions Tour here along with other important sports like the Grand Prix and the Tennis Open.” The fun atmosphere attracted tourists and residents to the show ground for an evening of sport and entertainment beneath the Prince’s Palace.
Global business leaders, sports stars, models and socialites mingled at tonight’s party at the floodlit arena alongside a dazzling fleet of super yachts. Earlier leading riders were among guests taken by immaculate white tenders to lunch aboard one of the stunning boats. VIPs from America, Russia, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia enjoyed the balmy Riviera evening ahead of the build up to tomorrow’s Grand Prix which starts at 18:30 local time.
Competing today were the following teams:
Eurosport - Peter Gustafson & Maikel van der Vleuten
Clear Channel - Wenceslas Thomel & Emanuele Gaudiano
Amade Mondiale - Ilaria Sutera & Rolf-Göran Bengtsson
Transport Maritime - Matilde Giorgia Bianchi & Emanuel Bianchi
Olympe Capital - Dietlinde Thomel & Yazmin Pinchen
Monaco Matin - Cheyenne Westebbe & Martin Fuchs
Gucci - Charlotte Casiraghi & Edwina Tops-Alexander
Federation Equestre de la Principaute de Monaco - Tamara Harnett & Christian Ahlmann
Magic Millions - Georgina Harvey & Marco Kutscher
PremiuMares - Milena-Maria Pappa & Pius Schwizer
Sapinda - Tess Carmichael & Abdulrahman Al Rajhi
Noor Fares - Electra Niarchos & Christina Liebherr
HSBC Private Bank (Monaco) SA - Iñigo Lopez de la Osa Escribano & Abdelkebir Ouaddar
Gucci Kids - Guillaume Canet & Jessica Springsteen
Class Horse TV - Federica Leone & Luca Maria Moneta
Longines - Vittoria Fuser & Ignace Philips
Press Release : LGCT / Photo: Stefano Grasso / LGCT
It was another electrifying jump-off during the second day of the Longines Global Champions Tour of Monaco as John Whitaker (GBR) claimed the top spot with his 10 year old bay mare Ornellaia in the CSI5* Prix de la Federation Equestre de la Principaute de Monaco. As the crowds of fans and VIP guests looked on, just centimetres away from the heart of the action, 41 combinations from 19 different countries lined up to take their turn around the first 1,50m course. With the tight and challenging course testing the agility and speed of the world's best show jumpers ahead of the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Monaco, eight of the riders completed the course clear and went through to the intense jump-off round.
Ben Maher (GBR) was the first to set the bar high in the jump-off, with a blindingly quick round on his beautiful chestnut gelding, the fiery Aristo Z, crossing the line in 34.89s. The crowd watched in anticipation as the remainder of the riders tried to better his phenomenal time, with Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) and his mare Gotha FRH the closest with 35.11s. One of the last to go, John Whitaker (GBR) knew he would have to pull an incredibly quick round out of the bag, and stepped up the pace with his mare Ornellaia, pushing hard between the fences to clinch the win from his compatriot Ben in 34.14s, just seven tenths of a second clear.
The Monaco society was out in force for today’s Longines Global Champions Tour, with the event becoming a leading fixture in the Principality’s social calendar and is under the High Patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco. As dusk fell Princess Caroline of Hannover joined her daughter Charlotte Casiraghi, one of the world’s style icons, for the evening’s feature Pro-Am competition.
Abdelkebir Ouaddar (MOR) and Iñigo Lopez de la Osa Escribano (ESP) galloped to victory to the delight of the crowd for HSBC Private Bank (Monaco) SA as the team competition took place later that evening. The Olympe Capital team of Dietlinde Thomel (MON) and Yazmin Pinchen (GBR) came a close second place as the competition hotted up, with Guillaume Canet (FRA) and Jessica Springsteen (USA) of team Gucci Kids taking the third spot. With sixteen teams competing in the 1,10m / 1,30m relay, the competition drew gasps and cheers from the packed audience as the amateur and professional combination riders battled it out against the clock for a dramatic finale of the second day's competition during the Longines Global Champions Tour of Monaco.
Charlotte, Hon. President of the event in Monaco, said: “Monaco is very fortunate to have such an event as the Longines Global Champions Tour here along with other important sports like the Grand Prix and the Tennis Open.” The fun atmosphere attracted tourists and residents to the show ground for an evening of sport and entertainment beneath the Prince’s Palace.
Global business leaders, sports stars, models and socialites mingled at tonight’s party at the floodlit arena alongside a dazzling fleet of super yachts. Earlier leading riders were among guests taken by immaculate white tenders to lunch aboard one of the stunning boats. VIPs from America, Russia, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia enjoyed the balmy Riviera evening ahead of the build up to tomorrow’s Grand Prix which starts at 18:30 local time.
Competing today were the following teams:
Eurosport - Peter Gustafson & Maikel van der Vleuten
Clear Channel - Wenceslas Thomel & Emanuele Gaudiano
Amade Mondiale - Ilaria Sutera & Rolf-Göran Bengtsson
Transport Maritime - Matilde Giorgia Bianchi & Emanuel Bianchi
Olympe Capital - Dietlinde Thomel & Yazmin Pinchen
Monaco Matin - Cheyenne Westebbe & Martin Fuchs
Gucci - Charlotte Casiraghi & Edwina Tops-Alexander
Federation Equestre de la Principaute de Monaco - Tamara Harnett & Christian Ahlmann
Magic Millions - Georgina Harvey & Marco Kutscher
PremiuMares - Milena-Maria Pappa & Pius Schwizer
Sapinda - Tess Carmichael & Abdulrahman Al Rajhi
Noor Fares - Electra Niarchos & Christina Liebherr
HSBC Private Bank (Monaco) SA - Iñigo Lopez de la Osa Escribano & Abdelkebir Ouaddar
Gucci Kids - Guillaume Canet & Jessica Springsteen
Class Horse TV - Federica Leone & Luca Maria Moneta
Longines - Vittoria Fuser & Ignace Philips