Longines Global Champions Tour: Staut & Qataris take final honours in spectacular Shanghai

Source: News Release

Staut & Qataris take final honours in spectacular Shanghai

(Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT)

2009 European Champion Kevin Staut (FRA) and Oh d'Eole won the CSI5* US$370,000 HuaTai-Pinebridge Shanghai Cup with a fantastic jump-off round to close the first incredible Longines Global Champions Tour of Shanghai with a real bang. Qatar’s star riders Bassem Hassan Mohammed with Primeval Dejavu and Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani with Vienna Olympic put in personal best performances to finish 2nd and 3rd respectively in a class full of the top names in show jumping.

The world-class riders gave another wonderful display of horsemanship to the enthusiastic Chinese crowd. Once again the spectators were gripped by the sporting action, cheering when a rider jumped clear and crying out in disappointment when an obstacle was knocked down.

Uliano Vezzani’s first round course presented some awkward distances and tough lines that resulted in many four fault rounds. Errors were concentrated through the tricky combination distances in the middle and the end of the course. Of the the 31 starters, twelve made it through to the tight and twisty jump-off round to be faced with a course that required utmost control and the nerve to turn back tight if you wanted to win.

Six riders jumped double clears, with Bassem Hassan Mohammed setting the time to beat of 41.31s from early in the draw riding a class round on this relatively new mount. Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA), Billy Twomey (IRE) and Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) tried their best to catch him, but picked up four faults for their efforts. A very happy Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani rode an elegant round with his beautiful bay mare to finish exactly a second behind his fellow countryman.

From a strong position late in the draw, Kevin Staut knew exactly what he had to do to claim victory and shaved half a second off the Qatari’s leading time. Staut was thrilled with his first big result of the show which came in this, the final class of Shanghai 2014 - “It is great to finish well. I am really pleased with my horse today and I have really enjoyed coming to Shanghai. I hope to return.”

Asian star Yang Gong Ru joins Dennis Li of Longines China in VIP for the feature class of the day

(Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT)

Stylish Shanghai is the place to be!

(Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT)

High society turned out in force for the historic Longines Global Champions Tour of Shanghai as hundreds of VIP guests were thrilled by world-class show jumping in China. A chic crowd filled the hospitality lounge to enjoy great views of the sand arena and the stunning backdrop of the famous red China Art Palace. Celebrity TV actress Yang Gong Ru added a touch of extra elegance as she joined guests in the front row and was clearly thrilled by the sporting action.

Asian superstar Eddie Peng, Ambassador of Elegance for the Tour’s Title Partner Longines, triggered a media and fan frenzy when he arrived for the Grand Prix on Saturday. After the competition, he hit the Chinese social media network WeChat where he has millions of followers and described the event as “fantastic”. Thousands of spectators enjoyed the best of show jumping over the three-day event and the public were full of admiration for the beauty and athleticism of the horses. The event was a true social occasion with a fashion-conscious enjoying the debut of the Tour in China.

China explodes onto the equestrian map with Tour debut

(Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT)

The success of the Longines Global Champions Tour debut in Shanghai has put China on the map of world-class equestrian sport. Business leaders from across China and Asia joined senior Government officials, including the Mayor of Shanghai Yang Xiong, to witness international sports horses competing for the first time in mainland China. The Chinese stage of the Tour is the 4th leg of the 2014 Championship series and was broadcast live to millions of homes around China and the wider region.

The international equestrian community watched the event from China on international TV and online as GCT TV live-streamed the event from the showground at Pudong, Shanghai. Chinese spectators were thrilled at seeing such top-level competition first-hand. Even at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 riders were not allowed to bring foreign horses to the mainland and had to compete in Hong Kong instead.

But after three years, the Longines Global Champions Tour reached a landmark agreement with the European Commission and Chinese authorities to allow special quarantine measures so horses could be flown from Europe to the event in Shanghai. Over 100 media outlets from around China followed the event starting with the arrival of the best show jumping horses in the world earlier in the week to the final competition prize giving ceremony.

Jan Tops, President of the Longines Global Champions Tour, said: “This has been a very important moment in the history of show jumping and for equestrian sport in China. I am very proud to have brought our Championship series to China and to have seen the great enthusiasm of the people and the media here for our sport.” Throughout the three-day event in Shanghai riders paid tribute to the “fantastic organisation”. The most famous riders in the world including Ludger Beerbaum (GER), Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) and Christian Ahlmann (GER) praised the arena surface, stabling, facilities and the incredibly enthusiastic crowd.

LGCT Ranked No3 Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) meets his new Chinese fans at an official autograph signing

(Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT)

There were so many people at the autograph signing and they were so excited! It was great fun!" Gert-Jan Bruggink (NED)

Visitors have a go at being 2013 Champion Scott Brash

(Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT)

Sharbatly gallops to victory in final Shanghai speed class

(Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT)

After his unfortunate four faults at the last fence in last night’s Longines Global Champions Tour of Shanghai Grand Prix, Abdullah al Sharbatly (KSA) looked like a man on a mission in the last speed class this morning. From late in the draw, Sharbatly rode a daring round with the 13-year-old gelding Unique to win by over 1.5s from Ireland’s Shane Breen and Confident of Victory in 2nd, while 3rd place went to Friday night’s big winner Constant van Paesschen (BEL) and Citizenguard Million Dreams.

The vocal audience enjoyed the exciting class as each rider pushed to better the one before. Ranking Leader Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) took an early lead around the clever Uliano Vezzani course with Erenice Horta. Constant van Paesschen rode another swift and smooth round with Citizenguard Million Dreams to moved into second, but Shane Breen came from the middle of the draw to take nearly 2s off Tops-Alexander’s time to take the lead. The Irishman looked like he would be unbeatable until Sharbatly, fourth last to go, threw caution to the wind to take the victory.

The crowd showed their appreciation of Sharbatly's brave performance, cheering loudly as he accepted his trophy and took his lap of honour. Meanwhile, autograph signings in the VIP area and busy public village with Jane Richard Philips (SUI), Gert-Jan Bruggink (NED), Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) and Cassio Rivetti (UKR) proved a huge hit as crowds of new show jumping fans jostled to get the star riders' signatures. The last class of this hugely successful show, the CSI5* US$370,000 1.50m this afternoon, will see the world-class riders take to the arena for the final time in the very first Longines Global Champions Tour of Shanghai in front of thousands of new Chinese show jumping fans.

Longines Global Champions Tour Ranking 2014