IN a thrilling display of elite sport, Germany’s Daniel Deusser captured victory in the €1.25 million Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix Champion in front of a sell-out crowd at the GC Prague Playoffs on Saturday night aboard Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z.

The German champion, who won €302,000 for first place, declared the evening of top sport “unbelievable” explaining: “I am speechless. What Jan Tops created here in the last couple of years is what I call a unique event and to jump here in an arena like that and a crowd like that is unreal.”

Each winner of the 15 rounds of the five-star GCT Grands Prix at venues around the world qualified for the top class event, including Ireland’s Mikey Pender and Denis Lynch. There were two late withdrawals in Malin Baryard-Johnsson and Ludger Beerbaum meaning just 13 lined out for a shot at the huge prize fund.

Five of those were clear in the first round over a difficult 1.65m track; they were Deusser, Katrin Eckermann (Cala Mandia), Harrie Smolders (Monaco NOP), Pieter Devos (Mom’s Toupie de la Roque) and Christian Ahlmann (Mandato van de Neerheide). McLain Ward (HH Azur) finished with a single time fault.

Pender was pathfinder aboard the Irish Sport Horse HHS Calais, finishing with four faults.

Tense

All 13 returned for the second round. Putting the pressure on for round one’s faultless athletes was USA’s McLain Ward and HH Azur – a horse who had not jumped a single indoor competition in over three years, as they jumped the first clear of the second round, adding zero penalties to the single time fault, a result which would have him third on the podium.

Eckermann was next to go and she came with top form, having earned her place on the podium in four out of the six LGCT Grand Prix’s she has competed in. An impressive clear put her straight into the lead, with all to play for, for the following four riders.

Christian Ahlmann and Harrie Smolders quickly followed with uncharacteristic faults accumulated by both riders put them straight off the podium.

Second last into the arena, Deusser posted a blistering clear in a time of 65.22 seconds put him firmly in the lead with Pieter Devos and his Mom’s Toupie de la Roque to go.

In a time that would have firmly secured him the win, Devos fell short with a single fence down leaving the results in no doubt. Pender finished seventh after two fences down in the second round, earning a tidy sum of €45,000, while Lynch slotted into 11th place with Brooklyn Heights after picking up eight and 16 faults.

Founder and President of Longines Global Champions Tour Jan Tops reflected on the event, in its fourth year and growing in atmosphere every time. He said: “I’m very proud what has happened in the last few years, especially the formula in the Super Grand Prix, that really works. You see that this is an amazing, popular class, the highest level of show jumping you can see at night, full house.

“Our social media and TV is full speed around the world and it’s for me an honour to work with a comity like Jan Anderlik and all his team around to make this really special effort and what has been delivered the last week. We started the journey together four years ago, it was unheard of. I have been to every show around in the last 35 years, a show like that you don’t see. From A to Z, it’s perfect, and the greatest sport it is. And I’m really proud.”