Second place at the final leg in Rabat
Just one week after the leg in Cairo, where Team Riesenbeck International secured the Global Champions League championship title ahead of schedule, the action continued in Rabat, Morocco. Philipp Weishaupt, Ciarán Nallon and Philipp Schulze Topphoff, all three based at Beerbaum Stables in Riesenbeck, lined up for the final leg of the season. Although the Riesenbeck team had already secured the title with a 50-point lead in the overall standings, the aim was still to finish the season on a positive note and head to the Playoffs in Verona, Italy, at the end of November with plenty of confidence.
Nallon and Iglesias D.V. were the first to take to the arena for Riesenbeck. Having been a partnership for just over four weeks, the pair produced a clear round over the demanding course, with just two time penalties for exceeding the time allowed. Weishaupt and Oreo D.R. followed with a confident, faultless round, leaving Riesenbeck in fourth place after the first round.
For the second round of the Top Ten, the Riesenbeck team switched horses. Nallon opted for Christians Carado and the pair delivered another clear round. Weishaupt chose Callao L for the second round and they also completed the course without penalties. This initially put the team into the lead. The Monaco Aces were the only team to complete both rounds without penalties, securing victory at the final leg of the Global Champions League. However, this did nothing to change the outcome of the overall standings. Riesenbeck extended its lead over the Istanbul Warriors in second place and officially celebrated the championship title in Rabat. Following the final leg, Weishaupt and Nallon stepped forward on behalf of the entire Team Riesenbeck International to lift the championship trophy.
Ludger Beerbaum summed up the season: "That was a truly special season! After a somewhat cautious start, all team members delivered consistently top results in different combinations. Nine podium finishes, including five victories, speak for themselves. Now it is time to turn our focus to the Playoffs at the end of November while gradually starting to look ahead and make plans for next season in the most important team series in show jumping!"
