Scott Brash has returned to the top of the Longines Global Champions Tour leader board after finishing fourth in an unusual competition to decide the third leg of the 2015 series in Spain.
For the first time since Monaco in 2011, the Madrid leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour on Saturday 2 May was won without the need for a jump-off.
This usually three-round competition was sealed when Luciana Diniz of Portugal and her great partner, the 16-year-old stallion Winningmood, produced the sole double clear of the competition to collect the 105,600euro top prize.
“This is a dream for me,” she said. “I had so much confidence today.”
A time-fault in round two meant that Frenchman Philippe Rozier (Rahotep De Toscane) finished in the runner-up spot with the remaining podium place going to Spain’s Manuel Fernandez Saro, competing in his first LGCT Grand Prix, riding the brilliantly named Enriques Of The Lowlands. He jumped two clears but adding a time-fault in each round.
“I’m very proud, especially to win in front of my home crowd,” he said.
Great Britain’s Scott Brash took fourth on Hello Sanctos after succumbing to a first fence stumble in round one but jumping clear thereafter. This result returns him to the top of the 2015 Longines Global Champions Tour standings after his victory in Miami at the start of the season.
“It’s fantastic to be leading once again,” said the former world number one.
Irish riders filled the fifth and sixth places courtesy of Bertram Allen riding the 17-year-old stallion Romanov and Darragh Kenny with the exciting prospect Sans Souci. Both finished with four faults in round one but returned for second round clears to leapfrog up the leader board and in to the serious prize-money.
Don’t miss the full report from Madrid in next week’s issue of Horse & Hound, out Thursday 7 May.
