The second day of the 114th CSI5* LGCT Madrid came to a dramatic close with an electrifying jump-off filled with some of the biggest names on the international show jumping circuit. In the end, it was Katrin Eckermann who triumphed, delivering a round to remember — the kind of performance that carves its place in the golden history of elite international equestrian competitions like Madrid.
The class featured 46 horse-and-rider combinations tackling fences up to 1.55 meters in height. Fourteen of them managed to complete the course fault-free — no small feat considering the technical challenges presented by a Grand Prix-style course designed by Spain’s own renowned course designer, Santiago Varela.
The German rider Katrin Eckermann rode to victory in the CSI5* in Madrid aboard the twelve-year-old Comme Il Faut daughter, Chao Lee! The duo was just one second faster than Belgian rider Gilles Thomas. Thomas secured second place on his trusted mare Luna van het Dennehof (Prince van de Wolfsakker x Quidam de Revel), bred by Marc van Dijck. In 2022 Thomas secured the win in this 1.50m class in Madrid.
Finally, Germany’s Christian Ahlmann completed the stage riding the BWP-stallion Mandato van de Neerheide (Emerald x Pommeau du Heup).
Just off the podium was Cian O'Connor in fourth place, ahead of Simon Delestre. O'Connor relied on the SF gelding Gengis Kann de Londe (Kannan x Diamant de Semilly), while Delestre was in the saddle of the twelve-year-old Acatitla LS (Clearway).
