British Riders Reign Supreme in the Longines Global Champions Tour of London
Monday 19 August 2024
Harry Charles secured his first Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix with a final round flyer on Sherlock, the Paris 2024 team gold medallist scoring a fabulous victory in front of a home crowd in London.
You can read all about Harry's win here.
Olli Fletcher scored a big win in front of a home crowd with victory in the Roseblood Wine 5* 1.45m on Cajus 42.
Forty-three competitors came forward over Uliano Vezzani’s 13-fence two-phase track but Olli and Alison Walton and Graham Fletcher’s Comme Il Faut x Quidam’s Rubin 10-year-old outpaced them all to win by a comfortable 1.13 seconds.
Rachel Proudley hit form to triumph in the Hunter Woodshavings 2* 1.45m on Petitfour VD Wareslage. Thirty-five riders hit top gear over this speed track, Rachel galloping out in front on the Corydon Van T&L nine-year-old to push James Whitaker and Just Call Me Henry into second spot.
James went one better in the 2* 1.40m with his reigning HOYS Grade C champion Just Call Me Henry. Forty-five competitors chased the clock in this speed class but James and the Argento nine-year-old Henry – bred in Britain by Murray McLeish – was quicker than the lot, finding the shortest route at optimum pace to win by 1.29 seconds. Jake Ward lined up second on Davinci VD Bosrand Z with Emma Stoker filling third aboard Skylandria Z.
There were a few hard-luck stories in the first round of the Champagne Piaffe 2* 1.45m Grand Prix as only two of the original 32 starters supplied initial clears. Jake Ward on Davinci VD Bosrand went head-to-head with Italy’s Eleonora Sanna with Tom Whitaker’s Amaretto Daisy, but eight faults second time out marred Jake’s efforts and he had to settle for second. Two round one time faults earned Keira Stoute and KI Context third place.
Noora von Bulow notched up a double win with the consistent Interstar B, firing the I’m Special De Muze x Ohorn VDL 11-year-old into the top spot of the 42-strong Martin Collins 2* 1.30m speed, leaving George Whitaker to pick up second on Zirocca Zoom 0.81 seconds in arrears. They repeated the feat on the final day, flying into victory in an 11-horse decider with an impressive 3.56 seconds in hand over Nina Barbour in second aboard Geisha Batilly.
Simon Crippen got his show off to a great start with victory in the Martin Collins London Cup, topping the 2* 1.25m two-phase on the 13-year-old Zeus Valencie (Marius Claudius x Zapateado) with 0.69 seconds over fellow Brit Claudia Rothermere on DM Jaqmotte.
Image: Longines Global Champions Tour
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