New York Empire win the Global Champions League in Rome
Team Riesenbeck International finishes second
With a 41-point lead in the overall standings, Team Riesenbeck International headed to the Italian capital for the 13th leg of the Global Champions League. Due to heavy rain, the classes had to be rescheduled at short notice from Friday to Saturday. However, the Riesenbeck team stuck to its original plan, fielding Philipp Weishaupt with Oreo D.R. and Marco Kutscher with Pikeur Lemar NRW in the first round in Rome.
Weishaupt, the first rider to compete for the team, had an unlucky rail down with Oreo D.R. However, Kutscher and Pikeur Lemar NRW delivered another confident performance, producing a clear round for the team. With four penalty points, the Riesenbeck team qualified for the second round of the Top Ten in fifth place. Only New York Empire, represented by Irish riders Denis Lynch and Michael Pender, completed the first round without penalty points.
In the second round, Weishaupt switched horses and entered the arena with Callao L. The pair delivered a clear round, and Kutscher and Pikeur Lemar NRW followed suit, also finishing without penalty points. This initially put Team Riesenbeck International at the top of the leaderboard, where they had to wait for the remaining teams to compete. The next three teams made mistakes and dropped behind the Riesenbeck riders. Only the final team, the first-round leaders, managed to stay clear, with Denis Lynch and Bertram Allen moving ahead of Riesenbeck.
Team Riesenbeck International therefore finished second in the Global Champions League in Rome, behind New York Empire, and further extended its lead in the overall standings.
Team manager Ludger Beerbaum was delighted with the performance: “These two are simply outstanding, and of course, so are their horses! Thank you for your commitment to the team, your hard work and your support!”
