Third place for Riesenbeck International
The Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames triumphed for the second week in a row securing the win at the only GCL stage in Germany. Sophie Hinners and Katrin Eckermann emerged victorious and all-clear with Iron Dames My Prins, Iron Dames Singclair, Chao Lee and Iron Dames Cala Mandia NRW. Rome Gladiators powered by ClipMyHorse.TV secured Silver with the home team of Riesenbeck International powered by Kingsland picking up Bronze in front of an electric crowd at Riesenbeck.
Thriller unfolded in Round One
14 teams set out to contest the 11th stage of the Global Champions League series. With just four legs remaining and the five top spots tighter than ever, the battle for the lead is heating up. Team Riesenbeck International set the pace early in round one. Christian Kukuk and his 14-year-old grey Checker jumped a flawless round with just one penalty point for time. Then it was Philipp Weishaupt and Zineday’s turn and the bay gelding didn’t let his rider down: Clear in 83.19 seconds helped to cement team Riesenbeck’s promising position on the interim leaderboard.
Third in the overall ranking, the Doha Falcons incurred just four penalty points. Jérôme Guery (BEL) and Great Britain V caused a pole to fall, teammates Simon Delestre (FRA) and Dexter Fontenis Z went clear. Stockholm Hearts powered by H&M We Love Horses sent the Belgian twins Olivier and Nicola Philippaerts. Unfortunately both riders and their horses Poppemieke Jw van de Moerhoeve H&M Luna van't Ruytershof Z were unlucky and finished round one in 11th spot on a total of 12 penalties. Richard Vogel and Cepano Baloubet executed the fastest clear round of the morning, putting his team New York Empire powered by Lugano Diamonds into third place with just the four penalty points of David Will and Zinedream.
All eyes were then on Cannes Stars. Last to go, their two riders Sophie Hinners on Iron Dames my Prins and Katrin Eckermann on Chao Lee produced the only double clear of the first round to put their team in the lead ahead of Riesenbeck International. It was no coincidence having six riders from Germany heading the standings after the first round with the home crowd giving their athletes an extra confidence boost.
Fast, cool and clear wins the race
Hopes were high and expectations were up for round two, with a few strategic horse and rider changes and the summer heat doing its own to ensure a hot contest. The second competition, which is also the qualifier for Sunday’s LGCT Grand Prix of Riesenbeck had its own challenges.
The Prague Lions led the standings after the first half of the CSI5* jumping competition against the clock over 1.60 m. Thibeau Spits (BEL) and Impress-K van 't Kattenheye Z much contributed to this result with a clear round. They finished the stage in fourth place overall. Then it was up to Laura Kraut (USA) and Kyle Timm (CAN) to put the Rome Gladiators in the lead with a double clear performance. With the best five teams of round one still to come it was anybody’s game, but when New York Empire picked up 16 penalties, the Gladiators were secured a spot on the podium. The question remained which one?
Saddling fresh horses team Riesenbeck International went out to win, yet Christian Kukuk and the 10-year-old Just Be Gentle dropped up an unlucky rail. Birthday boy Philipp Weishaupt and the Contagio son Coby delivered with a clear round to the delight of the home crowd and secured the all-important podium spot.
The Cannes Stars had to be fast and clear to win the race and they executed their strategy to a Tee. First Sophie Hinners went clear on the just 9-year-old Iron Dames Singclair and set the pace. Katrin Eckermann and her mare Iron Dames Cala Mandia NRW were last to go and you could hear a pin drop around the spacious grass arena, such was the excitement and expectation. The pair kept their cool to jump clear and put their team on the podium top spot once again. Iron Dames were the only team of the day to go double clear, making them the team to beat in the race for the Championship. The powerhouse team sits in first place with 229 points, ahead of Stockholm Hearts with 2023 points and Doha Falcons (196). Last year’s overall GCL season Champions Riesenbeck International picked up another big points haul to now have the same number of points as Doha Falcons.
The Championship now heads to the British capital of London in about four weeks, from 16 to 18 August.
Katrin Eckermann
“Actually I don’t know what to say. There was a lot of pressure with Riesenbeck International going before us and even though I had one rail up my sleeve, we all know how fast things can happen at the top level. But our horses jumped amazingly. I lost my stirrup on one line, we were really fighting. It’s just wow, women power!”
“Ludger Beerbaum, from all our riders I’d like to say that it’s an amazing show here. No glamour like at the other shows, here it’s really about the horses. The atmosphere is fantastic, thanks to your whole team.”
Sophie Hinners
“It’s amazing that we could deliver again, especially here in Germany in front of our home crowd, our family and friends. Last time we won in Monaco and now we proved that we can get on the podium again. We are so thankful to our team, without them this was not possible.”
Ludger Beerbaum, President of the event and Team Principal of Riesenbeck International:
“We experienced some really great sport today. The audience and celebrated the winners and runners-up. I would like to emphasize the praise the outstanding performance of the course builders. There were no obvious obvious source of error, the course was laid out in such a way that it was technically and a mistake could happen anywhere. Sophie Hinners and Katrin Eckermann from Cannes Stars did not make any jumping or time faults and therefore and therefore deserved to win.
To our home team Riesenbeck International: Christian Kukuk and Philipp Weishaupt showed in the first round with their Olympic horses Checker and Zineday showed two flawless rounds. Checker's time fault Checker did not play a role. In total there were four almost faultless Unfortunately we had one fault too many. Nevertheless, I am very satisfied.
11th leg of Global Champions League, Riesenbeck
- CANNES STARS 0/ 161.19 sec
Katrin Eckermann
Sophie Hinners
- ROME GLADIATORS 4/ 164.57 sec
Laura Kraut (USA)
Kyle Timm (CAN)
Nina Mallevaey (FRA)
- RIESENBECK INTERNATIONAL 5/ 167.44 sec
Christian Kukuk (GER)
Philipp Weishaupt (GER)
Standing GCL-teams:
https://www.gcglobalchampions.com/en-us/gcl/standings
