Can Henrik Von Eckermann Take the Championship in Riyadh?
Mdmar – Riyadh – LGCT
Does it come down to horsepower? Lifetime success? Or, do we look at this season’s data? What is the likelihood of Von Eckermann taking the top spot in Riyadh?
As a two-time 2023 Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) Grand Prix winner, both times aboard World Championship winning mount, King Edward, Henrik von Eckermann is unsurprisingly in contention to take top spot in this year’s Championship race.
Neither of the other two Championship contenders – Harrie Smolders or Maikel van der Vlueten match Henrik’s tally of LGCT Grand Prix wins this year, however, we’ve done the maths, and there are a few statistics that may surprise the biggest of Von Eckermann & King Edward fans amongst us.
The Winning
Formula: It’s All In the Detail
The only way that reigning World Number 1, Henrik Von Eckermann could steal the
show is to podium in the LGCT Grand Prix of Riyadh. Let’s take a look at the
point-scoring scenario:
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If Henrik secures 3rd place, his points accrue to 252.5. To take the win, Smolders can’t earn any points – he must place 14th or lower, and Van Der Vleuten can not be first or second
What about 2nd Place? Smolders can’t be 11th or higher, and Van Der Vlueten can’t take the win
Now for
first: Henrik’s points will add up to 257.5, meaning Van Der Vlueten is out of
contention no matter his place, and Smolders can not be in the top
8.
As a man who has won almost everything there is to win in the world of show
jumping, could the enviable and highly sought-after Longines Global Champions
Tour Championship trophy be the ultimate addition to Henrik Von Eckermann’s
wide collection and become his mantlepiece hero? Time will tell.
Quick Facts:
Henrik Von Eckermann’s
2023 LGCT Championship Season
LGCT GP’s Jumped = 12
LGCT GP Clears = 3
LGCT GP Double Clears = 2
LGCT GP Podiums = 2
LGCT GP Wins = 2
Horses used in LGCT GP’s = 4
Horses in LGCT GP Top 8 = 4
Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix Standings
Ahead of
Stage 15 & The Championship Final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
1. Harrie Smolders – 252 Points
2. Maikel Van Der Vlueten – 238 Points
3. Henrik Von Eckermann – 235.50 Points
Henrik’s Horsepower
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King Edward, Iliana, Calizi, Glamour Girl
With four horses used in Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in 2023, and all four of these horses having now finished inside the top eight of arguably the most competitive 5* Grand Prix series in the world, could the undeniable consistency of Henrik’s equine partners scream success in the upcoming season finale?
In King Edward’s six LGCT Grand Prix this year, he has in fact accrued an average penalty rate of 4.67 faults, though the two double clears produced have resulted in two wins this year, taking out both the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Stockholm in May and Rome in September.
The Cardento 933 x Gentlemen mare, Iliana, can not be overlooked as a point-scoring contributor, with her two LGCT GP starts producing two clear rounds, and two top-eight finishes. Glamour Girl adds her 100% strike rate, with one LGCT GP start producing a clear round and a top 8 finish.
Lastly, Calizi – the 10-year-old by Cellestial. Carrying the weight of 3 LGCT Grand Prix starts, Calizi has also added points to Henrik’s Championship pursuit with one finish inside the top 8.
Invincible Von Eckermann? Von Eckermann & King Edward Steal the Show in Rome
So just how will this Championship story play out? The page for the 2023 history book is set to be written from 28 – 30 October in glittering Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital city where the fusion of past and present comes together just like the Longines Global Champions Tour individual Championship.
All the action will be streamed live via GCTV, don’t miss the history unfold.
“mdmar” website for horse races and equestrian News
The “Mdmar” website for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
