Spencer Smith Scores In LGCT G.Prix of Šamorín While Championship Battle Will Go Down To The Wire At Next Week’s Finals
Mdmar – Šamorín
In one of the most
competitive jump-off’s of the 2021 season, it was Spencer Smith and Theodore
Manciais who defied gravity and soared into first place claiming his first-ever
Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix win under the lights in the
spectacular arena of Šamorín.
Smith denied Chrisitan
Ahlmann of the win by 0.02s and of the penultimate prestigious golden ticket
for the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix at the GC Prague
Playoffs in November. Jur Vrieling rounded off the podium in the electric
atmosphere of the X-Bionic Sphere with a phenomenal jump-off on Fiumicino van
de Kalevallei.
* “mdmar‘s” news site for horse racing and equestrian
The Championship battle has
never been this close before after Peder Fredricson could have taken the
overall season title today if he’d of finished 6th place or above but a
surprise fault mid-course in the jump-off left him in a dramatic 8th meaning
the race to the finish line is tighter than ever. Peder Fredricson now leads
the Championship heading into the Final round next week on 249 points with
Olivier Robert just behind in 232. Ben Maher sits in third on 228 and Edwina
Tops-Alexander rounds off the battle with 223 points.
* “mdmar‘s” news site for horse racing and equestrian
A beaming Spencer Smith
told GCTV: “There are no words. This is what I have worked for my whole
life. I am so thankful, I have the best horse and the best supporters.
Georgina Bloomberg gave me this opportunity and put me on this stage – I am so
lucky. My horse deserves this win more than I do.
With less than 1 second
between the top five placed riders in the jump-off it was a display of the
world’s best horses and riders tackling Uliano Vezzani’s foot perfect 1.60m
track. The 10 person jump-off kicked off in style with British legend Scott
Brash taking a flyer to every fence with Hello Vincent to secure a clear in a
blistering time of 40.56s.
Although giving it their
best shot with the crowd on the edge of their seat it was one down for both
Henrik von Eckermann on Olympic Champion King Edward and Daniel Deusser on the
young talent Bingo Ste Hermelle.
* “mdmar’s” news site for horse racing and equestrian
Young gun Spencer Smith had been knocking on the door for a Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix all year but had to wait until the penultimate event of the year for his much deserved victory. Riding Theodore Manciais the pair gave it everything that had and more as he soared to the top of the leader board with ease in a time of 39.57s.
All Peder Fredricson needed to do with H&M All In was finish 6th or better to have won the Longines Global Champions Tour 2021 Season Championship but an anginosing fence fell mid way through the jump-off putting him on the back foot. Not quite fast enough he had to settle for 8th place meaning the battle for the champion of champions will continue to the Finals next week.
Both Bart Bles and Jessica Springsteen looked on track to beat the time but their horses spent extra fractions of a second the air dropping them off the podium today. The crowd roared when Jur Vrieling and Fiumicino van de Kalevallei took an inside turn to the penultimate fence that one else had risked. The turn paid off proving good enough for third in this extraordinary jump-off.
* “mdmar’s” news site for horse racing and equestrian
Christian Ahlmann and the stunning Dominator 2000 Z set off at a flat out gallop. With everyone in the arena holding their breath he crossed the finish line just 0.02 seconds slower than Smith and walked out of the arena gutted he couldn’t quite match the pace.
The pressure got to last to go Philipp Weishaupt and Lacasino as it all fell apart and they finished with 8 faults handing the win to Spencer Smith and leaving it all to plan for next week.
The Championship battle has never been this tight and it will be down to the wire in next weeks Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Slovakia. Tune in to GCTV to find out who will be crowned the season champion live from Šamorín.
* “
* “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.
