Longines Global Champions Tour, Antwerp: Dazzling Result in the City of Diamonds

Source: News Release

Dazzling Result in the City of Diamonds

Bassem shoots to ranking No1 as Delestre wins Grand Prix

Photo: Stefano Grasso / LGCT

Bassem Hassan Mohammed shot to the top of the Longines Global Champions Tour ranking tonight after a turbo charged Grand Prix won in electrifying style by French speed ace Simon Delestre.

The second leg of the Tour in Belgium fired up the championship race as the young Qatari rider scored enough points to take the lead from Scott Brash who won in Miami Beach. With his eyes on the overall championship Bassem vowed: “I’m going to fight for it.”

Bassem is on 66 points and closely followed by Hans-Dieter Dreher on 59 points after a blistering performance in Antwerp taking second place in the Grand Prix. Edwina Tops-Alexander was third on the podium on Lintea Tequila, the bay mare she described as one of her “best ever horses”.

It was a night of sporting drama on the banks of the vast River Scheldt as thousands of fans and guests watched the world’s best battle for a chance to put valuable points on the ranking board early in the championship season.

Eight out of the world’s Top 10 riders were on the warpath in Antwerp with a mission to topple the seemingly invincible Brit Scott Brash, reigning Tour champion, off the top of the early season ranking.

In the new venue of Cockerill Quay along the giant River Scheldt, with boats gliding past the arena, spectators filled every available space for the big 1.60m Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix presented by Merit Capital.

There was serious horse power in the arena, not least with the new BMW i8 super car on display, with Ludger Beerbaum’s Chaman, Rolf Goran Bengtsson’s Casall and Bassem Hassan Mohammed’s Palloubet D Halong in contention.

In the first round Luc Musette’s course produced a steady stream of clear rounds and only the fastest on 4 faults would be able to win through to the second round. The faults were spread around the course as riders including Steve Guerdat, Scott Brash, Penelope Leprevost, Eric Lamaze and Daniel Deusser were all ejected from the second round with Jane Richard Phillips suffering an uncharacteristic fall.

Doda de Miranda, Constant Van Paesschen, Pius Schwizer and Henrik von Eckermann scraping into the second round with speedy round on four faults. French stars Simon Delestre and Kevin Staut led the fastest clears as tension mounted for the dramatic showdown with eyes on the €300,000 prize.

In the second round Sheikh Ali Al Thani of Qatar delivered the first double clear just inside the time allowed on Vienna Olympic. Ben Maher of Great Britain had an unexpected rail down when his chestnut mare Diva got too close to the first part of the yellow double combination.

Christian Ahlmann on Codex One also went double clear setting up a jump off and was joined by Hans Dieter Dreher who had his work cut out holding the dark bay stallion Embassy II in check to produce a brilliant double clear. Edwina Tops-Alexander added to the heavyweight jump off line-up on the talented Tequila. Egypt’s Karim El Zoghby on Amelia won a place in the jump off and the final double clear came from Simon Delestre on Ryan Des Hayettes.

The stakes were high for the second Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix jump off of 2015. After two strong rounds Sheikh Ali was not able to capitalise and finished on 10 faults. Christian Ahlmann looked like a winner but had a shock rail down on Codex One and Karim El Zoghby had four faults despite an impressive showing in Antwerp.

Edwina Tops-Alexander secured a powerful performance on Tequila making the big and daunting BMW fence look easy and putting in a tight turn to the Merit Capital vertical putting her on 40.30.

Hans-Dieter powered to second place in 38.74 on the formidable Embassy II who is on fire after a break of a few months before his outing at the LGCT Miami Beach earlier this month.

It came down to the wire with the last rider, Simon Delestre, living up to his reputation for speed clinching the winning time of 37.96 and a first prize purse of €99,000 on his 10 year old gelding Ryan Des Hayettes.

Press Conference:

Eric Thoulen, President Jumping Antwerp
I am very proud of the event, the weather was with us and there’s been a great atmosphere for all the riders. The move from the old location to this one really helped the organisation and the city helped us really well. We have more space and we wanted to create a feeling of a private enclosure in the city so the public and riders and everyone can enjoy it.

Jan Tops, Founder and President Longines Global Champions Tour
The organisation have done an amazing job, they’ve upgraded from last year with the change in location and the conditions for the riders and horses were perfect. Also the course builder did a great job, every day building fantastic courses producing the right amount of clears. I would like to congratulate him as well. Also the riders, they gave a very great effort and you see how everything is getting close from the beginning. Bassem is now in the lead after he was second in Miami. It’s a great achievement for him, it’s only his second year in the Global. Of course it’s a long way but when you have a head start it always helps.

Bassem Hassan Mohammed, Ranking Leader
Last year I jumped here in Antwerp, I finished fourth, and this year I had one down in the second round, but I’m still happy, the horse has jumped very good, and we have improved and if I can say thank you for Jan Tops and his help and thank you for helping us to be here.

Simon Delestre, Grand Prix Winner
The Longines Global Champions Tour of Antwerp is a very lucky show for me, I have won three times with three different horses. I can’t explain that but I’m very happy with that. My horse Ryan des Hayettes did a fantastic course today, he jumped amazing and he is in a super form. The course designer has done a very good job every day here. The new location also is larger than last year and the horses enjoyed it. Tonight I was a bit afraid of being slower than Hans-Dieter Dreher, but Ryan is very quick!

Hans-Dieter Dreher, Grand Prix Runner-Up
I’m very proud of Embassy II, he jumped amazingly well today. Before the Longines Global Champions Tour of Miami Beach he had a break for three months. He was very good there and he confirmed his great form the week here in Antwerp.

Edwina Tops-Alexander, Grand Prix Third
Tequila is just unbelievable, she is definitely one of the best horses I have ever had. This is only the second or third outdoor show I have done with her so far. Unfortunately today I didn’t make that turn, I should have pulled a bit harder and turn a little bit more but I can’t complain and my horse is in great shape. I also want to thank all the sponsors here, the course builder, and of course the team at Stal Tops.

Photo of the day

Photo: Stefano Grasso / LGCT

Warhorse visits the Longines Global Champions Tour of Antwerp.

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