Brash Can’t Defend Title in Cannes as Spain’s Moya Wins €300,000 Grand Prix

Only 25 spots were available in Saturday evening’s marquee Grand Prix of Cannes–Mauritius at Hespérides Stadium, with qualifying taking place through the concurrent Team Global Champions league competition. After the two GCL Classes, the Valkenswaard United squad of Alberto Zorzi (MHS Going Global), Janika Sprunger (Aris CMS) and Marcus Ehning (Pret A Tout) came out on top of this sixth qualifying stage after Mexico City, Miami Beach, Shanghai, Madrid, and Hamburg, taking the lead in the overall standings with 123 points.

However, this year was not to be for Brash and his 11-year-old mount Hello Forever at the venue near the city’s Mediterranean port, as they came in 48th out of 55 pairs in the second and determinant round of the GCL, with four bars down (16 faults) and a time of 74.05 seconds. Colombia’s Carlos Enrique Lopez Lizarazo and Cuplandra won the Class, pocketing €59,400. Other top riders such as the Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten on VDL Groep Arera C, just behind Brash in 49th, and Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca (retired) also did not advance to the Tour’s Grand Prix.

There, 24 combinations — Lizarazo having decided to not ask his winning mare to go again — started on a course of 13 obstacles, including a palm tree double for some added local colour. Many top riders faced troubles, including Ireland’s Denis Lynch on All Star 5, eliminated for a rare course error. In the end, 12 riders shared the €300,000 on offer, with Moya taking the lion’s share of €99,000 in the 10-pair jump-off with 0 faults and a time of 35.76 seconds. France’s Simon Delestre on Hermes Ryan was equally clear in second with a time of 36.70 seconds (€60,000) and Daniel Deusser and SX Hidalgo v. taking home €45,000 for their third-place finish.

After the competition in Cannes, Holland’s Harrie Smolders leads the Tour rankings with 150 points, ahead of De Luca (133) and fellow Dutch rider Maikel van der Vleuten (124), with nine stages to go to determine the overall Champion of Champions: Monaco, Paris, Cascais (Portugal), Chantilly, Berlin, London, Valkenswaard (The Netherlands), Rome and Doha (Qatar).