First day of final GCT 2010 leg in Rio De Janeiro

Luiz Francisco de Azevedo and
Une A Basta. By Lulu Kyriacou

Brazil's Luiz Francisco de Azevedo won the first class on the final leg of this year's Global Champions Tour in Rio De Janeiro with Une A Basta.

Luiz Francisco had originally snatched the lead from Australia's Edwina Alexander (Kisby) with a time of 51.51 seconds and his fellow Brazlian Alvaro De Miranda Neto followed on AD Norson. 

To screams of encouragement, Alvaro galloped for the last, but the clock read 51.68 second as he crossed the finish. 

Ireland's Denis Lynch followed the pair on Larcoix, the former ride of Robert Whitaker, but he ended up one second adrift for third. 

Luiz Francisco is the youngest son of a famous show jumping family. His father has represented the country at Olympic Games and his brother Luiz Felipe, who went so well in the Monaco Global Champions Tour Grand Prix, is also competing here.

 

The second class of the evening, a 1.55m jump-off class, carried a €125,000 prize fund. 

Christian Ahlmann and Taloubet Z.
By Lulu Kyriacou

Italian course designer Uliano Verzanni may have been slightly kinder than usual, although a double at six caused enough trouble, but 15 horses got through to the jump off. 

Bernardo Alves and Bridget looked set to keep the €31,250 first prize in Brazil, their time of 40.72 seconds seemed good enough for the few minutes until the USA's Lauren Hough and Prezioso took it away from them. But it was France's Simon Delestre who really set the contest alight. 

As sixth to go in the jump-off, Simon he was the first rider to turn inside a fence from a double at four to the following oxer and this impossible looking task drew gasps followed by whistles and cheers of encouragement at every fence. But, to a huge groan from a crowd, the last fence fell but Simon was two seconds faster. 

For the remaining nine riders, the was then to dare or not dare follow the Frenchman's lead as it was obvious Lauren's time could be beaten by anyone brave enough. The Netherlands' Jeroen Dubbeldam dared on BMC van Grunsven Simon and left all the rails intact in 38.06 seconds. 

But Germany's Christian Ahlmann also dared on Taloubet Z and could not have ridden a tighter line, almost clipping the fence wings. He beat Jeroen by a 1.5 seconds. However, Christian was modest in his moment of triumph. 

“I just planned to go as fast as possible, that's all,” he said.

For results and start lists click here