Katrin Eckermann triumphs in Miami Beach while Ludger Beerbaum holds on to LGCT Ranking lead
Mdmar – Miami-LGCT
It was a fairytale ending for the Longines Global Champions Tour of Miami Beach in Florida as last to go Katrin Eckermann stopped the clock a second faster than Shane Sweetnam to triumph in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Miami Beach. Riding the 9 year old Cala Mandia the pair risked it to the last at a flat out gallop and punched the air while the whole of Miami Beach erupted in cheers.
Katrin is the second female winner of the LGCT Miami Beach Grand Prix and speaking after her victory she said: “Well I have no words, it has been a long journey, I have had her since she was 6 years old and it’s her first LGCT. I’m really proud she jumped amazing. I have no words. I’m overwhelmed.
She then explained: “She’s 9 years old and it was her first 5* Grand Prix and she jumped amazing. I don’t have pressure on my horses as they are so young and I just enjoy being in the team and hopefully we will have a great season I had a great start.”
As the sun set on the show’s final day at the magnificent Miami Beach setting, Irishman Shane Sweetnam couldn’t watch as Eckermann crossed the finish line snatching the win and the LGCT Super Grand Prix ticket from him and Alejandro while young talent Gilles Thomas secured his first-ever LGCT podium with Luna van het Dennehof to take third place.
“*mdmar’s” news
site for horse racing and equestrian
The overall LGCT Ranking battle is already an intense affair, with Ludger
Beerbaum leading the charge for the 2022 season on 59 points. Michael Duffy,
sits just behind him on 57 points while Christian Ahlmann rounds off the top
three with 53 points. Katrin Eckermann sits fifth on the ranking just behind
Bart Bles and is the second rider after Doha Grand Prix winner Ludger Beerbaum
to qualify for the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix which will
take place at the GC Prague Playoffs this November.
All the riders at the show, even those who came out with more faults than they
would have liked, praised Uliano Vezzani’s technical and intricate
course-designing. They were light and delicate, meaning that the smallest of
mistakes influenced the outcome, but also not gigantic, intimidating fences, so
even horses making mistakes did not have their confidence dented. Still, with
the proximity of the sea and the crowds, the venue has the feel and intensity
of an indoor show just without a roof.
Six riders from the 34 starters pulled off first-round clears to qualify for
the jump-off, with the two fences hard up along the shoreline side of the arena
proving particularly influential. Fence faults meant many riders’ jump-off
hopes were dashed at the last minute amid groans from the packed out crowds
watching.
“*mdmar’s” news
site for horse racing and equestrian
Germany’s Tobias Meyer was first out the gate and emotions ran high as he
produced a double clear in his first-ever LGCT Grand Prix with Greatest Boy – H
in a time of 39.40s.
Having tasted what the LGCT Super Grand Prix was like in 2019 Shane Sweetnam
was hungry for his golden ticket. He demolished Meyer’s time and literally
soared over the 1.60m jumps to stop the Longines clock in 35.73 and set the new
fastest time with Alejandro.
Onboard Faltic HB, Ben Maher punched out the back rail of the wide oxer from
the rollback halfway round the course crushing his chances of a win today even
though his time was better.
On form this week Darragh Kenny and Volnay du Boisdeville put in a solid effort
but a late falling pole put them out of contention as he shook his head in
disappointment.
“*mdmar’s” news
site for horse racing and equestrian
The crowd roared for young gun Gilles Thomas and Luna van het Dennehof who
nearly knocked Sweetnam off the top stopping the clock just three-tenths of a
second slower but it was the best saved to last. Making sure every rail stayed
up even with the pedal to the metal, it was formidable Katrin Eckermann who
took advantage of the electric crowd to fly over the final fence and claim her
second LGCT Grand Prix win.
Her round on the 9-year-old Cala Mandia shaved more than a second off the time
to beat, handing her the victory and the lion’s share of the class’s €300,000
prize-fund.
This class concluded action at the Miami Beach leg of the Longines Global
Champions Tour. The next edition takes place in Mexico City (28 April – 1 May)
and will be live-streamed via GCTV as the world’s best head to Mexico’s Tour
destination.
“*mdmar’s” news site for horse racing and equestrian
The “Midmar” 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.