Catch up on all the action from LGCT with episode 6 of their TV highlights!
Following Hamburg just a hop and a skip away was the next stop on the Tour, the magnificent city of Madrid. It was standing room only at the stunning Spanish round of the Longines Global Champions Tour as Marcus Ehning (GER) took a sensational win with the 13 year old chestnut gelding Pret a Tout. In front of packed passionate crowds, an eight rider jump off had spectators on the edge of their seats right until the final fence as last combination to go, Marcus and Pret a Tout, galloped the course in a stunning display of skill and speed.
Following his win, Marcus praised his phenomenal horse Pret a Tout, saying: "I knew he was a good horse, but I didn’t expect him to be that good or that quick! [He] showed all the experience and all his quality and I’m really happy to win today." Marcus also spoke of the momentous and ground-breaking impact of the Global Champions Tour on improving the sport of show jumping internationally: "It is one of the biggest improvements in the sport in the last 20 years for all of show jumping worldwide - for other shows it’s a big goal to come close to the Global Tour. I think over the years you could see how the sport improved, and what kind of countries we have now with all the stages. It’s amazing what Jan did and I think for the sport it could not be something better.”
To the delight of the home crowd, who packed the grandstands to watch the action unfold and cheered passionately throughout the competition, local rider Eduardo Alaverz Aznar (ESP) took home the bronze medal. Speaking of what it mean to take the podium on home turf, Eduardo said: “It’s really special to be on the podium in my city and in my club where I have been riding for so many years.” Abdullah Al Sharbatly (KSA) and his LGCT Grand Prix of Shanghai winning horse, the 16 year old Tobalio, took the Silver medal, and were the ones to beat after setting the initial early pace as the first combination into the jump off.
