Ludger Beerbaum earns popular home win in Longines Global Champions Tour

It was a perfect ending to a stunning weekend of equestrian in Germany, as, Beerbaum, the four-time Olympic Gold medallist, rode his new horse Casello 2 to beat off competition from an international field and take top spot on the podium.

The Netherland’s Harrie Smolders took second and runners-up spot, with Colombia’s Daniel Bluman turning in an impressive performance for a deserved third place finish.

The Derby-Park Klein Flottbeck arena saw a 50 strong field in the first round of the 1.60 metre Grand Prix narrow down to 18 horse and rider combinations for the second stage.

Young German star Andreas Kreuzer rode a great double clear round with Calvilot, however was just pipped to the post by the time allowed. Smolders was the first to jump a double clear round, before the crowds erupted in patriotic cheers as he was joined in the jump-off round by the German quartet of Beerbaum, Daniel Deusser, Christian Ahlmann and Marcus Ehning.

Eight combinations in total went through to the jump-off, with Smolders first to go and setting a fine target after crossing the line with 35.25 seconds. Bluman with Sancha LS was next but despite coming close was unable to beat their time finishing in 35.29 seconds. Deusser had two fences down to remove them from contention, and a slip for world number one, France’s Simon Delestre, on Qlassic Bois Margot cost them a fence putting them in sixth place overall.

Ehning with Pret a Tout were fast with a time of 34.72 seconds but at the cost of a fence down, earning them fourth place overall.
Ranking leader Ahlmann had one fence down with Codex One, putting them in fifth position, but it was compatriot Beerbaum who stole the show, galloping across the course to meet the line in an impressive 34.81 seconds to take the victory.

Alhmann now leads the LGCT Rankings on 161 points overall, ahead of Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano on 96 points and Delestre now jumping up to third positon and only a point further back.

The LGCT now heads to the Spanish capital, Madrid, for the sixth round of action from 19 to 22 May 2016.

LONGINES GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR GRAND PRIX OF HAMBURG, GERMANY
Result
1 Casello Ludger Beerbaum Germany 0 faultS/34.81 seconds
2 Don VHP Z Harrie Smolders Netherlands 0/35.25
3 Sancha LS Daniel Bluman Colombia 0/35.29
4 Pret a Tout Marcus Ehning Germany 4/34.72
5 Codex One Christian Ahlmann Germany 4/34.89
6 Qlassic Bois Margot Simon Delestre France 4/35.75
7 First Class van Eeckelghem Daniel Deusser Germany 8/36.18
8 Lilli Georgina Bloomberg USA 8/36.34
LONGINES GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR 2016
Overall standings after leg 5 – Hamburg, Germany

1. Christian Ahlmann Germany 161 points
2. Emanuele Gaudiano Italy 96
3. Simon Delestre France 95
4. Ludger Beerbaum Germany 86
5. John Whitaker Great Britain 85
6. Harris Smolders Netherlands 83
7. Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani Qatar 76
8. Edwina Tops-Alexander Australia 73
9. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson Sweden 64
10. Georgina Bloomberg USA 62