Germany’s Kutscher wins Longines Grand Prix at LA Masters

Riding 13-year-old stallion Van Gogh Kutscher delivered the fastest clear round in the jump off in a time of 37.04 seconds, taking 0.89 seconds off that of Brash’s clear round.

A technical first round looked deceivingly easy but only seven riders out of a starting field of 36 qualified for the final round that decided the champion.

USA’s Kent Farrington, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat, Qatar’s Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani, B|elgium’s Rik Hemeryck and France’s Patrice Delaveau joined Kutscher and Brash to vie for top honours in the jump-off.

Brash set a fast, clear pace with a clear round in a time of 37.93 seconds. His lead held even with Farrington coming close to overtaking the world number one, but it was not until Kutscher as the last to go in the final round that pipped Brash to the top of the podium.

The Longines Grand Prix was one of several top feature classes at the LA Masters which drew the attendance of many of the world’s leading equestrian riders.

Any disappointment that Patrice Delaveau may have had in Sunday’s Grand Prix would have been tempered by two great victories on Saturday.

The Frenchman launched the most glamorous evening of showjumping in North America on Saturday by winning the $130,000 Gucci Gold Cup CSI5 star class.

Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander, Germany’s Christian Ahlmann, Italy’s Francesco Franco and the USA duo of Jack Towell and Quentin Judge also recorded double clears, but the battle for first and second boiled down to the Frenchman riding Carinjo HDC and USA’s McLain Ward riding HH Carlos Z.

And it was the smallest of margins which decided matters with Delaveau’s time of 35.83 seconds just pipping that of Ward by 0.2 seconds.

Deleaveau made it a double by winning the $34,000 Prix Emirates CSI5 star class after being one of only two riders out of a starting field of 21 that qualified for the jump off.

The French star was first to go riding Lacrimoso 3 HDC, and they delivered a clear round in a time of 31.59 seconds, which USA’s Lauren Hough, riding Cornet 39 just failed to beat. USA’s Quentin Judge, riding HH Fyloe had the fastest four-fault round to take third place.

There was also success for Great Britain’s John Whitaker at the Longines Los Angeles Masters as he took top honours in the $85,000 Prix Airbus, the first 1.50-metre CSI5 star class of the show, on Friday.

Riding Argento, the winning horse-and-rider combination of the Longines Grand Prix and the Gucci Gold Cup at the Longines Masters of Hong Kong continued their hot streak at Longines Masters events with a win.

Nine countries were represented in the jump-off round, with 21 of the 34 pairs qualifying for the final contention for the win and vying for first place.

Chasing a top time of 32.58 seconds recorded by Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander on Lintea Tequila, Whitaker came in with a superb clear round in a time of 31.99 seconds to claim victory.

In the $130,000 Longines Speed Challenge, young Irish star Bertram Allen raced to victory on Quiet Easy 4 to earn a place at the top of the podium.

Thirty four horse-and-rider pairs took the challenge of a brand new speed course designed by internationally acclaimed course designer Luc Musette from Belgium, and the 1.45-metre course will now remain unchanged for the next two legs of the Longines Masters series in Paris and in Hong Kong.

Scott Brash, aboard 11-year-old mare Hello Annie, managed a time of 58.96 seconds but he was just pipped to first place as Allen’s time of 58.91 proved decisive.

Italy’s Piergiorgio Bucci came third on Cuarta in a time of 62.94 seconds.

The Longines Masters series now moves from Los Angeles to Paris on 3 to 6 December before finishing the season in Hong Kong in February 2016.