Source:  GCT News Release (edited)

Winner of the 2011Global Champions Tour of Qatar – Alvaro de Miranda Neto

Eighteen of the world's show jumping rivals progressed to the second round of the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix with only three jumping double clear and moving forward into the jump-off.



This ensured a very exciting jump-off.

Brazilian Alvaro de Miranda Neto (popularly known as Doda) riding the scopey AD Ashleigh Drossel Dan was first to go on the shortened, technical track. They produced a sensationally fast clear round in 42.53 placing pressure on German rider Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Swiss rider Pius Schwizer.

A capacity crowd were willing the 18 year old Shutterfly and his German rider to victory however a rail down at a vertical four fences from home meant second place at best.

Schwizer riding Carlina looked to be up on time around the first part of the track, however they dropped a fence as they approached home allowing Doda to breathe a sigh of relief from the ‘kiss and cry’ stand.

This was the first Global Champions Tour victory for Doda who has been at every event since it started in 2006.

The Global Champions Tour President Jan Tops confirmed that Qatar would be hosting the first leg of the championship next year too.



Quotes

Rashid Al Mansoori – President of the Qatar Equestrian Federation.

Congratulations to the people sitting here at the press conference table for their super efforts. I thank Jan Tops for organising such a good circuit. There are many improvements for Qatar as we believe this is the best place for a championship of this level. GCT is very important for our riders and as a major sporting event. I look forward to seeing the final this year in the Gulf.

The last two years I have seen great improvement in the Qatari riders and the growth of our sport. Private owners are now here and the show jumping is being recognised as great horse sport along the lines of Horse Racing which has dominated here for so long.

Jan Tops

It was very good to have the first leg of the tour here in the Gulf and to be able to finish the 2011 Global champions Tour in Abu Dhabi. Five years ago I began the series and I have seen such good development. I thought after the first day of jumping here that the horses couldn’t get any better. But today they surpassed expectations. The first round was incredibly difficult and the second very tough. The sport has reached a very big level. The course today was more difficult than the first round of the World Championships.

The Qatari riders have had great improvement over the past five years. They had a 2nd place at the World Championships and then the Asian Games they were also good. This country is getting closer to the real top of our sport and we need to count on this region for the future of our sport.

Alvaro de Miranda Neto (popularly known as Doda)

Thanks to everyone at GCT for all the work they have done to bring our sport to such a level. This is the first win for me in a Global Champions Tour and it is very hard to get to the podium with such great riders in the likes of Meredith and Pius. I am happy to start the GCT 2011 season on a win.

About the horse; This is the best horse I have had in my life, and he makes our lives good to have him in our stables. He has all the talent in the world and if you ride him well he will go well.

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum

I was delighted as he is an eighteen year old and he jumped so well and I am very pleased with him. He is part of the family and it is a privilege to be able to ride such a horse. The second round was one of the hardest tracks that we have ever ridden. I appreciated Doda’s performance and the way he put pressure on us; it was fast run by Doda!

I have spent the past 6 weeks in California with some young horses and my family. I flew in this week to ride here however have caught a cold and have spent the last week in my hotel room tyring to get better.

Pius Schwizer

I have really enjoyed coming to this city of Doha. [It took a big] Effort to finish behind such a great horse and it was a fast round with very good riding by Doda.

The stabling facilities were of the highest level with the horses having air conditioned big boxes which meant that they could have plenty of good rest in order to be in peak condition to compete at the highest level.

Denis Lynch was fifth on two time faults, one in each round. “With two time faults you don’t get very far. The first time fault was my mistake. I could have ridden a lot faster to stay inside the time. The second one – I had the disadvantage to start first and it was difficult to avoid the time fault.