Valkenswaard GCT broadcast time amended

The Eurosport broadcasting time for this weekend's Valkenswaard Global Champions Tour show has been amended.

The Eurosport live broadcast will now be at 17:00 (CEST) on Saturday, 13 August 2011.

Eurosport will televise the second round and jump-off internationally. The first round of the Grand Prix will start at 14:15 (CEST) and can be via live streaming at here

Edwina claims second GCT Grand Prix in 2011

Edwina Alexander and Cevos Itot du
Chateau. By Steffan Grasso/GCT

Chantilly, France, is becoming a lucky venue for the the female regulars on the Global Champions Tour as three women visited the podium again this year.

Edwina Alexander scored her second big win this season, matching her Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Cannes success. She likes France, and so too does her French-bred  partner Itot de Chateau.

"When you have all the control, the dressage is good and your horse is feeling fantastic you should be able to win anywhere," said Edwina. "He's an incredible horse and that is why he wins in different places."

Penelope Leprevost (France) Edwina Alexander (Australia), and Luciana Diniz (Portugal) were the only three to jump double clear to factor an exciting jump-off.

Pius Schwizer takes first day's big-money class in Estoril

Pius Schwizer and Ulysse. By
Stefano Grasso/GCT

Switzerland's Pius Schwizer made the most of an altered time in the Massimo Dutti Trophy 1.50m jump-off class, which carried a fund of €141,000, taking the win in the second round on Ulysse.

Rodrigo Pessoa wins Estoril opener

Rodrigo Pessoa and Palouchin de
Ligny. By Stefano Grasso/GCT

Brazil's Rodrigo Pessoa claimed the first of the five-star classes, a 1.45m speed competition, at the Global Champions Tour's Portuguese leg in Estoril.

The course was set by German designer Frank Rothenberger, utilising the entire space of the large turf arena. It required horses to take big strides and travel at a quick pace. And the final fence, a wall, caught quite a few out.

Monaco GCT broadcast times

For those of you not lucky enough to be able to travel to Monaco to see it first hand, you'll still be able to watch the action from the next Global Champions Tour Grand Prix live. The event is held 23-25 June 2011, with the Grand Prix starting at 6pm (CET) on 25 June 2011.

Marcus Ehning scores a lucrative treble in Rio

Marcus Ehning and Noltes Küchengirl.
By Lulu Kyriacou

Germany's Marcus Ehning's win in the final Grand Prix of this year's Global Champions Tour with Noltes Küchengirl netted him a massive €425,000. 

Italian course designer Uliano Vezanni's course produced 11 clears from the first round of the three-round competition. The leader of the GCT rankings league, heading for the biggest share of the tour's million Euro bonus, Marco Kutscher was not among them having had two down on Catoki. Instead, he had to wait on the sidelines to see if his fellow countryman Marcus would overtake his lead with a top three place in the Grand Prix.

Eighteen were required for the second round, so seven first-round faulters joined the 11 clears.

Two Brits through to Global Champions Tour final Grand Prix jump-off

Ben Maher (Oscar IX) and Ellen Whitaker (Equimax Ocolado) have both gone clear in the first round of the Rio De Janiero Global Champions Tour five-star grand prix. There are 11 clears in total.

The first and second jump-offs are being televised live from 11pm (GMT) this evening and can be viewed on Eurosport or The GCT website

Marcus Ehning wins Rio winning round

Marcus Ehning and Sabrina 327.
By Lulu Kyriacou

Germany's Marcus Ehning claimed the second day's top prize of €31,250 by winning the Prix Bradesco top score with Sabrina 327

The best 20% from the first round, in which the field included national as well as international riders, went through to the jump-off held later in the evening. However, Ellen Whitaker, one of the 14 through to the jump-off was taken ill and had to withdraw. 

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. 

Denis Lynch wins final five-star GCT class in Valkenswaard

Denis Lynch and All Inclusive NRW.
By Lulu Kyriacou

Denis Lynch shrugged off torrential rain and his 18 rivals in the jump-off of the five-star 1.50m medium tour final at the Valkenswaard leg of the Global Champions Tour to win with All Inclusive NRW.

The Irishman took the lead as fifth to go into the arena as conditions continued to worsen. His target could not be beaten, despite a strong challenge from Britain's Guy Williams (Belinka van het Overlede Goed). He finished just over half a second behind to finish second ahead of the USA's Lauren Hough (Casadora).

Laura Kraut wins Valkenswaard Grand Prix

Laura Kraut and Cedric by Lulu Kyriacou

As she had done three weeks earlier to win the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Chantilly, Laura Kraut jumped triple clear with Cedric to take the feature class at the tour's home in Valkenswaard.

Four made the final jump-off and American rider Laura was first to go with her Alltech World Equestrian Games shortlisted partner, producing a fast clear. Germany's Christian Ahlmann (Taloubet Z) and Marco Kutscher (Cash), second and fourth to go, both faulted with the former being slightly quicker. But, Ireland's Denis Lynch and Lantinus left Uliano Vezzani's course intact to finish second, marking the horse's return to competition.

“It is just great to have Latinus back to his best.” said Denis. “This is only his sixth show after a long lay off due to injury, so I could not be happier with him.”

However, he was one second slower than Laura and she claimed the €95,000 winner's purse.

“Cedric has just been unbelievable lately, but this was different from Chantilly," said Laura. "There I was last but one to go and I knew what I had to do; here, with these three behind me, I just went as fast as possible from the start. I figured one of them was bound to beat me so I had nothing to lose by giving it a good shot.

"Cedric is getting short break now, then we go to Madrid and then WEG. I just hope my run continues there as I have a feeling Team USA will be in big trouble if we dont get a medal on home soil!”

Laura had also taken the morning's five-star medium tour 1.45m speed class with Unique, who, although originally ridden by Laura, is usually ridden by her partner Nick Skelton. However, Nick is due to have a hip operation this week, so wasn't able to compete at Valkenswaard.

"And i have to say I will be sorry to give him back and I am certainly going to make the most of it until I do," she said.

Brits were again in the placings on day two of the show. In the two-star division Ben Maher finished runner-up with Let's Fly 6 in a medium tour 1.40m speed class, while James Fisher claimed the same position in a small tour 1.35m on Vesta III. Lauley Squibb took third in a 1.15m one-star invitational speed class.

Results

Live video streaming from the show

Ben Maher wins five-star class in Valkenswaard

Ben Maher and Oscar by Lulu Kyriacou

Ben Maher claimed the second of two five-star classes at Valkenswaard's Global Champions Tour leg this afternoon with Mr & Mrs Cook's Oscar.

Thirteen had made the jump-off, including fellow Brit Guy Williams (Belinka van het Overlede Goed) who had two down in the final round, and eight went clear again with Ben beating Brazil's Bernado Alves Moya and Bridgit by 0.25 seconds.

France's Simon Delestre (Orphee de l'Illon) headed the morning's five-star speed class, in which Ben was sixth this time with Quainton Quirifino Z.

In the one-star classes, Britain's Lauley Squibb was runner up on Rusty in a one-star invitational 1.20m.


Results

Live video streaming from the show