LGCT takes flight at Hamburg’s German Jumping and Dressage Derby

58 international Show Jumpers are entered in the Hamburg LGCT and accompanying Global Champions League competition, part of a larger group of 144 Jumping riders and 294 horses from 27 nations present at the Derby-Park Klein Flottbek venue. The event can be watched live here.

Show Jumping action got underway at the 5* level Thursday afternoon, with the 1st round of the Global Champions League for individuals and teams. Despite many clear rounds on designer Frank Rothenberger’s course, Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts and the 11-year-old grey H&M Harley VD Bisschop were the only pair to finish in under 70 seconds, winning €59,000 as well as a car. Portugal’s Luciana Diniz and Lennox were second, with Ireland’s Shane Breen and Can Ya Makan third. They will all be aiming to make it onto the podium in Saturday’s 1.60 m Grand Prix of Hamburg.

Among the others in the city this week with that objective are World No.1 Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands and Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander, who is currently 3rd in the Tour rankings behind Great Britain’s Scott Brash and Ben Maher – both of whom are at home this weekend at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Not surprisingly, Germany has a large contingent in Hamburg, including Christian Ahlmann, Ludger Beerbaum and Marcus Ehning.

Ireland’s Denis Lynch, France’s Roger Yves Bost, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann and Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs are also part of the world-class field at the Derby-Park Klein Flottbek. And for his part, Great Britain’s Nigel Coupe and his 15-year-old mount Golvers Hill are well-placed to challenge for the title in Sunday’s Jumping Derby, having won at Hickstead in 2017. The full competition schedule is here. The Hamburg Jumping Derby – one of the most prestigious events in equestrian sports, which has been held at the site since 1920 – has been described as ‘intense’, ‘challenging’ and ‘crazy’ by different observers over the years.