Rome Belongs to Abdel Saïd! Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix Glory Extends Championship Lead in Dramatic Title Showdown
Mdmar – Roma
When the pressure reached boiling point in the Eternal City, Abdel Saïd delivered a performance worthy of a champion. Under the Roman sky, with the crowd roaring and the 2026 title race hanging in the balance, the Belgian star stormed to victory in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Rome, extending his Championship lead and taking another enormous step towards the coveted title.
The atmosphere was electric as the world’s best riders and horses battled for glory in the 13th stage of the 2026 Longines Global Champions Tour. With every rail carrying Championship consequences, the passionate Roman crowd was treated to a thrilling afternoon of five-star sport, culminating in a seven-way jump-off that had spectators on the edge of their seats.
It was Saïd and his brilliant Wathnan Quaker Brimbelles Z who ultimately stole the show, stopping the clock in an unbeatable 35.27 seconds to claim the top step of the podium. Belgium’s Pieter Devos and Casual DV Z pushed all the way to finish second in 35.88 seconds, while France’s Lara Tryba continued her extraordinary run of form to secure third aboard Chageorge in 36.19 seconds.
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But this was about far more than a Grand Prix victory. With the Championship entering its final, decisive stages, Rome delivered a potentially defining moment in the race to become the 2026 Longines Global Champions Tour Champion.
Abdel Saïd paid tribute to the Italian crowd after a performance that strengthened his position at the top of the Championship standings. “It is amazing to ride here in front of this Italian crowd. They always egg you on, and it makes you want to do more,” he said. “I am very proud of my horse. He was on the ball with me today. I think he was looking at the LGCT ranking as well, because he was really on it with me!”
Reflecting on his jump-off strategy, Saïd explained how he used his horse’s strengths to his advantage: “He has a big stride and a lot of scope, so I had to use that to my advantage today. He is maybe not the most agile horse, but he is really game, and it worked out.”
With two stages remaining, the result gave Saïd further momentum in the Championship race, although he remained measured about what lies ahead. “There are two more legs, but it’s looking positive. We couldn’t have improved on today anyway, so I’m very happy with the result.”
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Attention now turns to Cairo, where the Pyramids of Giza will provide the backdrop for the next chapter of the title battle. “I think it is going to be unbelievable. It’s incredible that you have managed to take the global tour there, in front of the Pyramids. It’s going to be historic, and I hope the crowd is going to be as exciting as it is here in Italy.”
Pieter Devos arrived in Rome with one clear objective: to secure his place in the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix. Second place with his homebred mare Casual delivered the ticket he had been chasing all season. “It’s fantastic. It has been the goal all year, and I have really committed to the LGCT to make sure I got that ticket. I am so happy now that I have it in the pocket,” he said.
First to go in the jump-off, Devos had to set the benchmark without knowing what would follow. Reflecting on the balance between risk and reward, he explained: “My horse jumped fantastically today. I had to go first in the jump-off, so I took some risks, but I should have done four strides down the second-last line. Afterwards, I would have done it differently, but when you have to go first, you do what you have to do. I really am very happy with second place.”
The result carried added significance for Devos, whose partnership with Casual stretches back to the very beginning of her life. “We bred Casual, and I am so proud of our long journey together, from foal to now. She has been so consistent in the past few years, and I think she has jumped clear in six five-star Grands Prix.”
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With his LGCT Super Grand Prix place secured, Devos also paid tribute to Rome’s setting and the local support: “This is a fantastic arena, with lots of space for the horses to work, and a really fantastic location with all of the local crowd. It’s a fantastic place, and I hope we come back here next year!”
For Lara Tryba, a podium finish alongside Abdel Saïd and Pieter Devos was a moment to savour. Delivering a double clear with Chageorge against a formidable jump-off field, she admitted the result was still sinking in. “It really hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s amazing. I was already so happy to jump clear in the first round, but to deliver a double clear and a good jump-off, and to be on the podium with riders like Pieter and Abdel, who are amazing… I couldn’t be happier. All the riders in the jump-off were so strong.”
The battle for the 2026 Longines Global Champions Tour Championship arrived in Rome with everything still to play for. Abdel Saïd and Christian Ahlmann entered the LGCT Grand Prix of Rome locked in an intense fight for the top of the standings, with the German challenger having a golden opportunity to overhaul his Belgian rival.
But in a dramatic twist, the Championship pendulum swung firmly in Saïd’s favour. Ahlmann, riding Untouched LB, entered the arena as the final competitor in the opening round knowing exactly what was required. With Saïd already safely through to the jump-off, the pressure could hardly have been greater. One costly fence brought his hopes crashing down, leaving the German on four faults and outside the jump-off in 18th place.
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Delivering a faultless performance when it mattered most, Saïd secured the maximum 40 Championship points in Rome, moving to 241 points overall, extending his advantage over Ahlmann to 17 points with just two stages remaining.
2026 Longines Global Champions Tour Championship – Top Five After Rome
Abdel Saïd (BEL) – 241 points
Christian Ahlmann (GER) – 224 points
Katrin Eckermann (GER) – 199 points
Denis Lynch (IRL) – 196.5 points
Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) – 192 points
With Cairo and Rabat still to come, the Championship is far from decided. But after a sensational afternoon in Rome, Saïd has put himself firmly in the driving seat.
The opening round of the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Rome delivered a fascinating combination of precision, pressure and high-stakes drama, with the imposing 1.60m course demanding the very best from the world’s elite. A flurry of clear rounds early in the competition suggested that a substantial jump-off could be on the cards. Crucially, Championship leader Abdel Saïd also delivered under pressure, guiding Wathnan Quaker Brimbelles Z home without a fault to guarantee himself a shot at the Rome title.
But elsewhere, the demanding course began to claim some major casualties. Edwina Tops-Alexander, one of the leading contenders in the Championship, saw her hopes of a jump-off place disappear when she and Fellow Castlefield finished on eight faults. Katrin Eckermann, meanwhile, collected four faults with Iron Dames Cascaiall NRW, denying the German another chance to fight for LGCT Grand Prix glory.
Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for. Christian Ahlmann. Last to go. The Championship lead within reach. With Saïd already through, Ahlmann knew the importance of producing a clear round aboard Untouched LB. But one agonising fence fell, bringing an abrupt end to his hopes of joining the jump-off and delivering a huge blow to his Championship challenge.
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As Ahlmann exited the arena on four faults, the significance was unmistakable. Saïd had been handed a golden opportunity to stretch his lead, but he still had six formidable rivals standing between him and the Rome Grand Prix trophy.
Jump-off
First into the arena, Belgium’s Pieter Devos knew the importance of putting immediate pressure on those still to come. Partnering Casual DV Z, the Belgian produced a beautifully controlled, faultless round, combining sharp turns with a relentless rhythm to stop the clock in 35.88 seconds. It was an impressive opening statement and a formidable target. The challenge had been laid down. Who could catch him?
Next to take on the clock was Longines Ambassador of Elegance Jane Richard aboard Aequitus vh Bergerhof Z. The Swiss rider wasted no time attacking the course, setting off with real intent as she looked to challenge Devos’s leading time. But the opening fence fell, immediately putting her on the back foot. Refusing to surrender, Richard continued to push, eventually crossing the finish line with four faults in 39.53 seconds, leaving Devos’s lead intact.
Fresh from her sensational GCL victory in Vienna, Lara Tryba arrived in Rome riding the wave of an extraordinary run of form, and the Frenchwoman looked determined to continue it. Partnering Chageorge, Tryba launched into a bold and beautifully executed jump-off, finding herself 0.44 seconds ahead of the target time at the intermediate split. The crowd could sense something special.
Galloping towards the final fence, Tryba threw everything at the clock, prompting whoops and cheers from the packed grandstands. She flew through the finish in 36.19 seconds, just 0.31 seconds behind Devos, slotting into second place provisionally. Another outstanding performance from one of the Tour’s most exciting competitors.
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Monaco’s Anastasia Nielsen was next to enter the arena aboard ESI Rocky. Having delivered a superb clear in the first round, Nielsen set off determined to challenge the leaders. But the demanding jump-off course caught her out, with the back rail of the pink oxer falling before another costly mistake at the penultimate fence. Despite her determination to keep the momentum flowing, the eight faults left Nielsen out of contention, crossing the finish line in 38.74 seconds.
With Devos still leading, France’s Simon Delestre knew there was no room for caution. Aboard Gatsby du Tillard, the experienced Frenchman produced one of the most attacking rounds of the afternoon, slicing fractions of seconds off the clock with every stride.
At the intermediate split, Delestre was a remarkable 0.78 seconds ahead of the target.
The Roman crowd held its breath as he charged towards the final obstacle, but in a heartbreaking twist, the last fence came crashing down. Delestre stopped the clock in a blistering 34.42 seconds, an incredible 1.46 seconds faster than Devos, but the four faults relegated him down the order.
The fastest time of the jump-off, but not the result he had been chasing.
Then came the man at the centre of the Championship story. With Ahlmann already out of contention and the opportunity to extend his advantage firmly within reach, Abdel Saïd entered the arena aboard Wathnan Quaker Brimbelles Z knowing that a victory would make an enormous statement. But there was no sign of caution from the Belgian.
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Saïd attacked the course with extraordinary precision, balancing breathtaking speed with complete control. At the intermediate split, he was 0.13 seconds ahead of Devos’s leading time. The pressure was mounting. The crowd was roaring. Fence after fence disappeared beneath him as Saïd powered towards the finish, producing a sensational clear round in 35.27 seconds.
He had done it. Into the lead by 0.61 seconds. The Belgian had put himself in pole position for the LGCT Grand Prix victory, but with one final rider still to come, the celebrations would have to wait. Last into the arena was Ireland’s Denis Lynch, another rider with valuable Championship points on the line. Partnering Ping Pong van de Lentamel, Lynch knew that only a clear round faster than 35.27 seconds would deny Saïd the Rome crown.
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The Irishman set off with determination, but as he approached the red vertical, disaster struck. The fence fell, ending his chances of taking the top spot. Lynch continued to the finish in 36.41 seconds with four faults, securing fifth place and another valuable haul of Championship points. And with that, the result was sealed. Abdel Saïd was the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Rome winner!
A sensational victory, 40 Championship points and an extended lead at the top of the standings. On an afternoon when every fence mattered, the Belgian had delivered the ultimate performance.
From the ancient grandeur of Rome to one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, the Longines Global Champions Tour now heads to Cairo, Egypt, from 22–24 October, for the penultimate stage of the 2026 Championship.
With the breathtaking Pyramids of Giza set to provide the backdrop for another extraordinary showdown, the stakes could hardly be higher. Saïd arrives in Egypt with a 17-point Championship advantage, but Christian Ahlmann will be determined to strike back after his costly afternoon in Rome. Meanwhile, Katrin Eckermann, Denis Lynch and Edwina Tops-Alexander remain firmly in the fight for the leading Championship positions.
With a spectacular €1 million Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Cairo awaiting the world’s best, the pressure is only going to intensify. And with the 2026 Champion set to be crowned at the season finale in Rabat, every point, every second and every rail could prove decisive.
The countdown to the 2026 Longines Global Champions Tour crown is well and truly on.
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The “Mdmar” website which was Founded by Khaled Makhlouf in 2007 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.
