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John Roche at the press conference in St. Gallen. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Most of the press conference after today's Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in St. Gallen was about the German team, and what happens to them now. But first the press got to hear about the rounds and the class.

Laura Renwick, who secured the win for the British team said this about her ride and tactic in the jump-off; "My horse jumped very well. I was lucky and was the first to go for our team. I didn't see Steve in the jump-off, but I knew that he wanted to win and would be fast so I had to be quick - but also jump the jumps. I had a moment in the double where I thought I made a mistake, but actually he just lost a shoe and the shoe hit the fence and the pole fell. So I thought we had a mistake there, but I kept going and as it turned out it was good enough."

Thanks to their second place today Switzerland took over the lead in the first division in Europe. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Switzerland tops the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe division 1 after the leg in St. Gallen. With their 180 points Switzerland has left France behind them in second with 157,67 points and third place to Ireland with 150,67 points. Today's winner Great Britain didn't get any points for their win and is in fourth position with 143,67 points.

Ukraine, who won the last leg in Rome, is rank five with 100 points and the Netherlands is rank six after getting 65 points today. Spain is in seventh position with 64 points. Germany is still on the list but on a zero score.

The winning British team in St. Gallen. Photos by Jenny Abrahamsson.Great Britain won the dramatic Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in St. Gallen on Friday. The British team consisted of Laura Renwich on Oz de Breve (Dollar du Murier x Grand Veneur), Scott Brash on Hello Whisky Mac IV (Emilion x Burggraf), Joe Clee on Utamaro D Ecaussines (Diamant de Semilly x Quidam de Revel) and Guy William on Titus II (Kanjer x Topas). Second place went to Switzerland and third place to Belgium. 

Unfortunately the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in St. Gallen was not so much about the horses, riders or the nations - in stead it was all about the footing. Germany withdrew before the class started and the Netherlands, who was supposed to start with their entire Olympic team, changed horses and Leon Thijssen went in instead of Maikel van der Vleuten. Swiss rider Janika Sprunger and British rider Scott Brash changed their horses as well.

The German team made the decision not to start, despite of the consequences. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The German team decided not to compete in today's leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in St. Gallen, even though this was one of the four legs where the country could collect points.

Chef d'Equipe Otto Becker explains this about the decision to WoSJ; "We chose to withdraw because of the welfare of our horses, we didn't want to take any risks with this footing. The rules say that it needs to be special circumstances to withdraw, and before the class the FEI didn't think there were any special circumstances. So we knew already when we made the decision that we wouldn't get any points in the other legs we are supposed to ride and that we as a consequence won't be able to start in the final. That also means that we probably will fall down to the second division next year and we were totally aware of all that when we took the decision not to start."

It's wet, wet, wet in St. Gallen on Friday! Photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

Steve Guerdat and Sidney VIII were best in the rain. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Steve Guerdat won Friday's speed class with Sidney VIII (Cary x Quidam de Revel) in pouring rain at the CSI5* show in St. Gallen. Second place went to Guy Williams on Bijou van de Vijfheide (Darco x Laudanum xx) and third place to Luca Maria Moneta riding Quo van de Vains (Robin II Z x Narcos II).

The organizers are doing their very best to keep the grass footing in order, and have cancelled several classes. Still half of the field of riders in today's speed class chose not to start, and in the end only 41 of the 76 riders on the list went in the ring. Out of them 16 were clear and nine retired or got eliminated.

The starting order for tomorrow's Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in St.Gallen will be as follows: 1. Switzerland, 2. Germany, 3. Holland, 4. France, 5. Great Britain, 6. Belgium, 7. Ireland and 8. Italy 

Four teams – Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland – will be competing for Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping points in Europe Division 1. The standings after two event in that division are available here.

Tomorrow’s competition will begin at 15.00 CEST (local time in Switzerland, GMT+2 hours) and will be broadcast live on FEI TV, FEI’s official online video platform. There will be a 40-minute break between the first and the second round.

Here you can see the jump-off from the CSI3* show in Nörten-Hardenberg last weekend.

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Ian Millar with Dixson. Photo by Angelstone. The stage was set this past Saturday at the Angelstone Equestrian Park for a classic showdown between two of the biggest names in equestrian show jumping, Conor Swail and ten–time Olympian, Ian Millar.

The pair of riders had started off their week at Angelstone with a one-two placing in Thursday's $33,000 FEI Open Welcome and Saturday brought them back into the ring for the $50,000 FEI Grand Prix, presented by System Stall Rentals.

Christine McCrea with Avenir. Photo by ©ESI Photography.Christine McCrea finished the first week of spring competition at HITS Saugerties with a hot hand. After piloting Candy Tribble & Windsor Show Stables' Avenir to the blue in Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, McCrea rose to the occasion again for Sunday's $50,000 EMO Grand Prix and cashed another winner's check.

McCrea was the only rider to end the day with a double-clear effort. "I think I have found my new favorite course designer," said McCrea with a smile after the class. Marina Azevedo of Campinas, Brazil set the courses in the Strongid© C 2X Grand Prix Stadium this week, and admits that she attempted to make the tracks welcoming in the beginning of the season, but included some testing elements. "She uses the ground so well," added McCrea.

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Scandinavian countries top the overall standing of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe division 2. After the leg in Copenhagen the past weekend Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland can be found on the top four places.

Top ten nations:

1. Sweden - 220 points, 2. Norway - 198 points, 3. Denmark - 148 points, 4. Finland - 141 points, 5. Belgium - 131 points, 6. Belarus - 123 points, 7. Austria - 75 points, 8. Italy - 70 points, 9. Poland - 68 points, 10. Russia - 65 points

Ludger Beerbaum will compete in St. Gallen this weekend. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Belgium, France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland will all send teams to St. Gallen the coming weekend. The show hosts the third leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe division 1. Top riders are going to St. Gallen, and the Netherlands has their entire Olympic team present. Other Olympic riders present are Steve Guerdat, Paul Estermann, Cian O'Connor, Christian Ahlmann, Marcus Ehning and Philippe Le Jeune.

Alison Rowland and Bickley Brook Bella. Photo provided by Peter Cooke.Alison Rowland won the Grand Prix at the CSI3* show in La Boissière on Bickley Brook Bella (Premier des Hayettes x And Behold). Rowland and second placed Samuel Hutton on Heidi du Ruisseau Z (Heartbreaker x Darco) were the only double clears out of the six that went on to the jump-off. Omer Karaevli aboard Dadjak ter Puttenen (Toulon x Vanitas) was the fastest rider in the jump-off, but with one down he had to settle for third place ahead of Eric Navet with Volare van de Bunte.

Click here for all the results.

The perfect combination; Nick Skelton and Big Star. Photo by piazzadisiena.com.London 2012 Olympic team gold medallist, Nick Skelton, claimed the Rome Grand Prix title for Great Britain for just the sixth time in the 81-year history of the prestigious Italian event this afternoon.  Riding his Olympic horse, Big Star, he set a super-fast target in the thrilling 16-horse jump-off and, although his time was bettered, the rest could not match the clean jumping of his 10-year-old stallion.

Jur Vrieling and Zirocco Blue Vdl took a great win in Copenhagen. Photo from Odense last year, by Jenny Abrahamsson. Jur Vrieling and Zirocco Blue Vdl (Mr Blue x Voltaire) were victorious in the Grand Prix in Copenhagen Sunday after two clear rounds. Zirocco Blue made his first Nations Cup appearance on Friday where he was double clear and today the nine year old stallion once again proved his quality. Thomas Ryan and Cruise on Clover (Cruising x Clover Hill) was the other clear combination in Bernstorffsparken with Willem Greve and Carambole (Cassini I x Concerto II) in third place with one time penalty.

Lars Nieberg and Leonie W were the winners in Nörten-Hardenberg. Here seen in Dortmund earlier this year. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson. The Grosser Preis in Nörten-Hardenberg saw seven German riders amongst the top ten, with Lars Nieberg and Leonie W (Larenco x Grandeur) taking the victory. The young talent Betram Allen from Ireland kept impressing, and was the only non-German rider who managed to secure a spot in the top as he guided Romanov into second place.

©ESI Photography Christine McCrea and Avenir jump their way to a blue in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, Friday at HITS Saugerties.Excitement surrounding Week I of the HITS Saugerties Spring and Summer Circuit reached a climax Friday afternoon when 26 riders took to the Strongid® C 2X Grand Prix Stadium to get grand prix competition underway at HITS-on-the-Hudson with the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis. Christine McCrea and Avenir, owned by Candy Tribble & Windsor Show Stables, Inc., pocketed the first high-performance blue of the 2013 season.

Mario with Little Pezi. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Mario Stevens and Little Pezi (Lord Pezi x Aldatus) won the prestigious the Championat of Nörten-Hardenberg and this was Mario's third win this weekend. Mario was almost one second faster than second placed David Will and Juvina (Cassini x Grannus) in the jump-off. Third place went to Marcus Ehning with Cornado NRW (Cornet Obolensky x Acobat), who's back after a longer breeding break. Shane Sweetnam ended fouth aboard Eregast van't Kiezelhof (Thunder van de Zuuthoeve x Latano), and Werner Muff with Neverlast (Napels x Ramiro) fifth.

Oleg Krasyuk was a part of the wining Ukrainian team in Rome Friday. Photo presented by Revolution Sports. Oleg Krasyuk (UKR), was the winner of the Furusiyya Round of the Day  award in Rome yesterday. The Furusiyya Round of the Day award is presented to the horse & rider combination who is judged to have best displayed qualities such as harmony, partnership, balance and skill throughout their two rounds; values represented and embodied by Furusiyya. Oleg Krasyuk, riding Nobylis, was judged to have ridden beautifully to produce two double-clear rounds on the day, which helped his team into the jump-off and ultimately the winner's podium.

A good start for France this year. Here we see Penelope Leprevost after the French victory in the Nations Cup in Aachen last year. After two legs France is in the lead of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 1. The French have picked up a total of 157.76 points at two legs, while rank two is Great Britain at 143.67 points. Both countries have picked up points in La Baule and Rome, where they were eligible for points. Rank three is the winning team from Rome – Ukraine – at 100 points. Then follows Switzerland at 90 as rank four.

The winning team in Rome! Cassio Rivetti, Oleg Krasyuk, Ulrich Kirchoff and Kathi Offel. Ukraine’s Cassio Rivetti, Oleg Krasyuk, Ulrich Kirchoff and Katharina Offel took home the win in the second leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 1 in Rome. It took two exciting rounds and a jump-off to get a winner, and in the end it was Germany, France and Ukraine that battled it out in the beautiful ring at Piazza di Siena. As last to go Cassio Rivetti and Temple Road did it for Ukraine, as Ludger Beerbaum and Patrice Delaveau left the door open with one fence down each. With the best time of the two, Ludger secured second for Germany leaving France at third.

Jur Vrieling and Zirocco Blue VDL had the only double clear in Copenhagen. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Friday afternoon it was time for yet another leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 2 - this time in Copenhagen. The Dutch team was in the lead after the first round, and managed to hold on to their lead. Jur Vrieling with Zirocco Blue VDL had the only double clear in the class, while the other team riders Hendrik-Jan Schuttert on Up to date HS, Suzanne Tepper on Km Wish and Willem Greve on Carambole did one clear round each.

Scott Brash with Bon Ami. Photo by Piazza di Siena.Britain's Scott Brash and Bon Ami rode to a win in the opening international speed class at Piazza di Siena Thursday. Going in at the halfway stage in a starting field of 56, he cut all the corners in this 1.50 class to set the target at 61.96 seconds, and, despite their best efforts, the rest just couldn't catch him.

Eight teams will compete in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in Rome. France, Great Britain, Spain and Ukraine are the nations that can collect point at this leg.

The staring order tomorrow will be as follows:

1. Italy, 2. Sweden, 3. Great Britain, 4. Germany, 5. France, 6. Switzerland, 7. Spain, 8. Ukraine

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Kent Farrington with Venus. Photo by: Rebecca Walton/PMG.Kent Farrington has taken over the lead in the 2013 Hagyard Challenge Series after winning the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic during the Kentucky Spring Classic. The talented rider showed Raylyn Farm's Venus to the victory by overtaking the jump-off with two seconds to spare and a clear effort.

Richie Moloney maintains the second place position in the standings after earning second with Slieveanorra during the first event, and then going on to place seventh, eighth and ninth with Equinimity LLC's Carrabis Z, Call Me Number One, and Slieveanorra. Venezuela's Pablo Barrios is currently ranked third in the standings after winning the first event aboard Zara Leandra with the fastest double clear effort.

All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

Jur Vrieling and Bubalu VDL will compete for the Netherlands. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.This weekend the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 2 will take place in Copenhagen. Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Finland, Hungary, Poland and Sweden will all have teams present in the hope of collecting some points for the overall standings. France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland on the other hand can not collect points at this leg.

Gert-Jan Bruggink is on the list for Nörten-Hardenberg. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The riders list for the CSI3* Hardenberg Burgturnier is ready, and lots of good riders can be seen in action at the event this weekend. Marcus and Johannes Ehning will both be there, as will Jeroen Dubbeldam who comes fresh from a win in Wiesbaden. Gerco Schröder, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, Cian O’Connor and Laura Kraut are other strong names on the list.

Heading for Rome again; Scott Brash and Hello Sanctos. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The coming weekend the beautiful CSIO5*-NC event takes place at Piazza di Siena in Rome. The show hosts the second leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 1, and France, Great Britain, Ukraine and Spain will be able to pick up points here. These teams send some top riders to Rome; Patrice Delaveau, Roger Yves Bost, Kevin Staut, Nick Skelton, Scott Brash, Ben Maher, Sergio Alvarez Moya and Kathi Offel are all on the list – in addition to lots of other strong names such as Philippe Le Jeune, Daniel Deusser, Carsten-Otto Nagel, David Will, Richard Spooner, Kent Farrington and Pius Schwizer to mention some.

Jeanne Engela. Photo by TB Images.This past weekend in Johannesburg, the first leg of the South African World Cup qualifier series took place. It was the 22 year old Jeanne Engela that rode to victory in the Knowles Husain Lindsay Attorneys Inc FEI World Cup Qualifier on her 10 year old mare, Cloof Wine’s Chanel (Canturo x Accord II). The pair were the only combination to jump a double clear round over a track built by Portuguese course designer, Bernardo Costa Cabral.

Katie Dinan ended up on top. Photo by The Book LLC.Three teenagers and a veteran rounded out the jump-off in the $100,000 Empire State Grand Prix presented by The Kincade Group, and the first to go in was the one to return to the winner's circle. Nineteen-year-old Katie Dinan of New York, NY, and her energetic partner Nougat du Vallet were double clear to win the biggest class of the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows, which ran May 7-12 and 14-19. The competition concluded two great weeks of equestrian sport in North Salem with incredible entries and top horses and riders.

The $100,000 Empire State Grand Prix had 37 competitors, and they rode over a course designed by Anthony D'Ambrosio of Red Hook, NY. Riding second in the order, Dinan and “Nougat,” a 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding by Scherif D'elle, made it look easy as they bounded through the course for the first clear round. They returned first for the jump-off and set a quick pace and the only clear round in 39.898 seconds.

Nr.1; Cameron and Antello Z. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson.

Snapshots of horses, grooms and the winner waiting for the prize giving after the Grand Prix in Wiesbaden. Here's Madeleine with Sterrehof's Tamino. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

Kathi with her new watch. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Katharina Offel and Hans-Dieter Dreher were the two best riders overall in Wiesbaden. Kathi was the best female rider during the show, while Hans-Dieter Dreher was the best male rider. Both of them were honored with a watch from Longines during the prize giving after the Grand Prix. Both riders have had a terrific weekend, pikcing up one ribbon after the other.

Cameron Hanley with Antello Z. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.After a two year break due to an injury, Cameron Hanley is back stronger than ever which he proved by winning the Grand Prix in Wiesbaden with Antello Z after two amazing rounds. 46 riders came to start in the first round and the 12 best went to the second round - all of them clear. Two combinations, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson with Quintero Ask and Jeroen Dubbeldam with Quality Time, were just outside the time and had one time fault which prevented them for taking part of the second round.  The faults came spread throughout the entire course, and the open water caused some surprising problem for several riders. Some horses landed in the middle of it while both Janne-Friedrike Meyer and Alberto Michan were eliminated as their horses refused to jump.

The winners; Cameron Hanley and Antello Z. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The winner Cameron Hanley has been out of the sport for two years, and recently made his comeback. Hanley had an accident where he injured his leg, and had to undergo several operations. Now he is back in top form, but still has some difficulties walking. "Luckily for me riding is better than walking, but it was always like that," Cameron said after his win.

On his winning ride Antello Z, Cameron explained that the gelding was found as a seven year old by his brother Carl Hanley; "We bought him together. I rode him in the beginning when he was eight before I was injured, and then we sold half of him to Michael Whitaker. Then I got injured and my brother's rider Alex Duffy rode him for almost one year. He won the U25 Grand Prix in Paris, and Michael was there and saw him jumping and said that he wanted to ride that horse. So we send him to Michael and he competed him last year. I was very fortunate this year when I was back riding; I got a new sponsor and they said that we needed a Grand Prix horse. I told them that I knew a very special horse and that was Antello. Luckily we were able to buy him back. To win a Grand Prix like this so quickly - this is just my third of fourth show with him - is really unbelievable!"

Luciana Diniz leads the DKB-Riders Tour. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Luciana Diniz is in the lead on the DKB-Riders Tour standing after the third leg in Wiesbaden. Joint rank two is the Hamburg Derby winner Gilbert Tillmann, the winner of Hagen Grand Prix John Whitaker and the winner of Wiesbaden Grand Prix Cameron Hanley. Three riders are joint fifth; Carsten-Otto Nagel, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Hans-Dieter Dreher.

Youngsters, riders and grooms waiting for the jump-off. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

The rain start to pour down when Denis Lynch and Anyway entered the ring to ride the jump-off. They ended third in the final after winning the youngster class yesterday. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

Gregory Wathelet won the Youngster Tour Final in Wiesbaden. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Sunday’s Youngster Tour Final in Wiesbaden went to Gregory Wathelet and Citizenguard Million Dreams (Diamant de Semilly x Concetto). The Belgian rider and the beautiful eight year old were the best in this 1.40 class that had 32 riders in it. A slippy and wet grass ring gave the horses some difficult conditions, but still seventeen made it to the jump-off where Gregory had the fastest time at 39.40 – producing yet another clear round. Closest to him came Philipp Weishaupt on the lovely Chico (Cordalme Z x Sandro) with a time of 40.55 seconds, while Denis Lynch was third on Anyway II (No Limit x Farmer). Katharina Offel ended fourth on the well jumping Luke Skywalker (Lord Pezi x Sandro Song).

Click here for full results.

Jeroen Dubbeldam and Utascha SFN. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Jeroen Dubbeldam was asked if it is normal for Utascha SFN to take a break and eat some grass on her way out of the ring, as she did so both after the first round and after the jump-off; "It looks like it. She likes to eat a little grass after her rounds, it is like a small treat for her."

He also explained what he liked the most with Utascha; "She has a fantastic attitude. She is a quality horse, but that can also become a problem. She has so much quality that she can get afraid, and we had that problem with the triple combinations - but we have tried to solve it through working on her trust and she really took that to her. I will ride Quality Time tomorrow as this is the first outdoor show for Utascha and we ended our indoor season so bad with the problem in the triple combinations so I want to let her jump in some smaller classes for the first shows.

Patrice Delaveau and Orient Express took a home win in La Baule. Here seen in Rotterdam. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Patrice Delaveau took home the Grand Prix in La Baule Sunday aboard Orient Express (Quick Star x Le Tot de Semilly). Following him in second place was the Dutch talent Frank Schuttert and Winchester H S (Numero Uno x Nimmerdor) while Nick Skelton secured third place with Big Star (Quick Star x Nimmerdor). The top three riders were the only ones to produce two clear rounds as Sunday’s course in La Baule caused difficulties for several riders. After the first round only four out of 48 riders were clear, but the twelve best riders went on to the second round. This was Patrice’s second big win for the weekend as he also won the Derby Saturday with Ornella Mail *Hdc (Lando x Alligator Fontaine).

Utascha SFN is eating some well deserved grass on her way out. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Jeroen Dubbeldam and Utascha SFN (Lux Z x Indoctro) returned to their winning ways today in Wiesbaden, taking home the 1.50 class Sunday afternoon. The class was a qualifier for yesterday's DKB Riders Tour, and had 51 riders in it. Ten of these went clear over the first round thirteen fence track which included an early triple combination with a vertical-vertical-oxer and a combination at 10a and b. It was the white and burgundy triple combination that caught out most riders, and plenty got faults here.

The first clear came from America's Saer Coulter on the lovely Don VHP (Diamant de Semilly x Voltaire), before Maurice Tebbel followed with a clear for Germany. Laura Renwick and John Whitaker both produced clears for Britain, while Katharina Offel rode a super round on B-Once Z (Baloubet du Rouet x Lavaletto).

 Three very happy winners in Wiesbaden yesterday; nr. 1 Laura Kraut, nr. 2 Edwina Tops-Alexander and nr. 3 Hans-Dieter Dreher. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson.

The winning combination - Margie Engle and Royce. Scope and stride proved to be the key to the win for Margie Engle and Royce during the $75,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix, presented by Audi of Lexington, during the Kentucky Spring Classic. The pair out jumped 12 other horse and rider combinations during the tiebreaker to claim the winning prize with a double clear effort. Charlie Jayne captured the second place award with Chill R Z, while Venezuela's Pablo Barrios galloped into third aboard Zara Leandra.

Laura Kraut is in the lead after her great win in Wiesbaden. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.After the third leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour, Laura Kraut has taken over the leading position on the overall ranking. With 77 points Laura is two points ahead of Luciana Diniz in second place with 75 points. Alvaro de Miranda is next at 66 points while the winner from Hamburg, Christian Ahlmann is currently rank four together with Hansi Dreher on 65 points.

"Cedric won his 4th GCT today and I'm so proud of him." Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Laura Kraut on the question whether this was the perfect course for Cedric; “You never know with him, sometimes he is afraid of break-away jumps so I was really happy when he jumped the first round. It was a good second course to give confidence. I'm just so pleased. And I was surprised that i beat Edwina and Hansi, because I just didn't feel that I was that efficient in the jump-off. It is different with grass and sand and we can't go as fast on grass.”

The top three in Wiesbaden; Laura, Edwina and Hansi. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Wiesbaden went to Laura Kraut and Cedric (Chambertin x Carolus I). The pair produced one of four triple clear rounds, shaving off 0.23 seconds on runner-up Edwina Tops-Alexander’s time – the Australian riding her faithful Cevo Itot du Chateau (Le Tot de Semilly x Galoubet A). Third was home rider Hans-Dieter Dreher on Magnus Romeo (Royal Feu x Hans Anders Z).

Patrice Delaveau and Ornella Mail - here at the Falsterbo Derby two years ago. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The Derby in La Baule Saturday saw a home win from Patrice Delaveau and Ornella Mail HDC (Lando x Alligator Fontaine). Patrice was on of two riders who managed to clear the course consisting of 21 fences. The course had several water trays, natural fences and two combinations - a double at 5a and b and a triple combination as fence 12.

Also second place went to France with Michel Hecart and Nokia de Bekka (Quick Star x Apache d'Adriers) who finished on a clean sheet, but 1.90 seconds slower than Patrice and Ornella. Third place went to a derby expert, Shane Breen on Ominerale Courcelle (Kannan x Caprice d'Elle). Shane produced the fastest time of the day, but with four faults he could not threaten the home win. Steve Guerdat and Sidney VIII secured fourth place, also on four faults, before the following riders had collected 12 faults or more around the demanding Derby course.

Daniel and Mouse won again! Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Daniel Deusser continued his winning ways in Wiesbaden today aboard Stephex Stables' Mouse (Limbus x Grundyman). After showing great form in Hamburg last weekend, the pair continued their super form to take home the 1.45 speed class at the CSI5* event today. With the time of 58.73 seconds this super fast combination were way faster than the rest of their competitors – leaving Maikel van der Vleuten and VDL Groep Eureka (Chin Chin x Quidam de Revel) to second at 61.82 seconds and Emanuele Gaudiano and Chicago (Chambertin x Quinar) to third in 62 seconds.

After the first leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 1 in La Baule, Switzerland has taken the lead of the series with 90 points. France, Ireland and Great Britain follows as joint rank two in the series with 75.67 points. Under the new rules of the Furusiyya series, just four of the teams starting in yesterday’s competition – France, Ireland, Great Britain and Switzerland – could earn points towards the final in September. In yesterday's Nations Cup Switzerland finished 2nd and France, Ireland, Great Britain joint 3rd.

Christine McCrea and Zerly. Photo by © The Book LLC.North Salem, NY – May 17, 2013 – For the second week in a row, Christine McCrea of East Windsor, CT, won the Friday grand prix event at the Old Salem Spring Horse Show. She and Zerly were fastest to win the $25,000 Grand Prix of North Salem presented by The Hakim Family over World Cup champion Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo and last week's Sunday grand prix winners, Todd Minikus and Uraguay.

The winning Dutch team in La Baule. Photo by © Dirk Caremans/FEI.It was the Dutch team that won the opening leg of the Europe Division 1 of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in La Baule on Friday. Switzerland ended second while Ireland, Great Britain and France shared third place. Dutch Chef d'Equipe Rob Ehrens’ crew consisted of Albert Voorn on Tobalio, Hendrik Jan Schuttert on Cerona HS, Frank Schuttert on Winchester and Leon Thijssen on Tyson. After the first round Holland was in fifth position with Spain – both teams carrying seven faults. Germany and Belgium were in joint with six penalties, the French were in second with five faults and the Swiss in the lead with a single time penalty.

Kent Farrington and Venus. Photo by Phelps Media Group, Inc. International.Although thunderstorms disrupted competition throughout the day at the Kentucky Horse Park, the clouds parted as the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic got underway during the Kentucky Spring Classic. Sixteen horse and rider combinations advanced to the tiebreaker, creating a speed duel for the winning prize. Kent Farrington proved to have all the answers with Venus, blazing an uncatchable clear track that was almost two seconds faster than second place finisher Andrew Bourns of Ireland. Reed Kessler and Mika were the pathfinders to take home the third place honors.

Rob Ehrens' team will be first to go in La Baule. The starting order for tomorrow’s Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in La Baule is as follows;

1.    The Netherlands
2.    Spain
3.    Ireland
4.    Great Britain
5.    Belgium
6.    Germany
7.    Switzerland
8.    France

Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20. Photo by Phelps Media Group, Inc. International.The heat was on as the Kentucky Spring Classic got underway today at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. Five riders produced double clear rounds during the 1.45m Open Jumpers, but it was the last do so that proved to be the fastest. Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20 broke the beam at 30.378 seconds for the win by 3/10ths of a second over Reed Kessler and Soraya De L'Obstination. Earlier in the day, Pablo Barrios took home his second blue ribbon in a row during the 1.40m Open Jumpers speed class with Colgate.

A full list of the riders and teams that will compete in La Baule this coming weekend is ready. The CSIO5* event in France includes the opener of the 2013 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Division 1 in Europe which takes place on Friday, and the prestigious Grand Prix on Sunday. Top riders are heading for La Baule, and the full entry list can be seen here.

There were a lot of emotions in Hamburg this weekend! Here's the happy top three in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix. Although Bosty didn't seem to enjoy the champagne that much... All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

Olivier Philippaerts will be going to La Baule. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The German, Belgian and Spanish teams for La Baule have been announced. The German riders entered for the opener of the 2013 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup series are Katrin Eckermann, Lars Nieberg, Patrick Stühlmeyer, Holger Wulschner and Tim Rieskamp-Goedeking. Belgium will have a strong team present with Dirk Demeersman, Judy-Ann Melchior, Ludo Philippaerts, François Mathy Jr and Olivier Philippaerts – while Spain send Manuel Fernandez Saro, Pilar Cordon Muro, Julio Arias Cueva, Manuel Anon and Paola Amilibia Puig.

Christian Ahlmann will compete in Wiesbaden. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.A strong field of riders is heading for the Longines Global Champions Tour in Wiesbaden the coming weekend. The third leg of the tour welcomes top home riders such as Christian Ahlmann, Ludger Beerbaum, Marco Kutscher, Marcus Ehning – not to forget other strong names like Edwina Tops-Alexander, Alvaro de Miranda, Ben Maher, Michael Whitaker, Marc Houtzager, Gerco Schröder and Luciana Diniz.

Click here for the full riders list.

After three out of eleven events in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 2, Sweden holds the overall lead in the series. Sweden has collected a total of 152 points, while Finland is rank two with 141 points. Norway is currently the third best nation at 139 points.

Click here for the full standing.

Todd Minikus and Uraguay. Photo by © The Book LLC.Todd Minikus and Legacy Stables' Uraguay won the highlight event of the first week of the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows, the $50,000 Old Salem Farm Grand Prix presented by Suncast. They were fastest in the jump-off to beat Darragh Kerins (IRL) on E-Muze Yek and Christine McCrea (USA) with Romantovich Take One. Along with top show jumping, there were Grand Hunter Champions awarded, as well as Classics for the Medium and High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers. This concluded the first week of competition at Old Salem Farm. Week two runs May 14-19.

Eduardo Menezes and Calavda in the jump-off. Photo by CapturedMomentPhoto.com.On two gorgeous southern California afternoons, two fabulous rides earned the lead in the high performance victory gallops for the $60,000 Grand Prix of California, sponsored by Equ Lifestyle and presented by Ferrari & Maserati of San Diego, and the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, both on the grass Grand Prix Field. The competition was fierce with almost forty entries in both classes.

Eric van der Vleuten won the Grand Prix in Drammen.Eric van der Vleuten and Wan Architect continued to impress today, taking home the three star Grand Prix in Drammen, Norway. After helping the Dutch team to a second place in Friday’s Nations Cup, Eric made sure to make it a win today with the 10 year old gelding that has gone from strength to strength under van der Vleuten’s superb guidance. Eric had one of six double clears in the 50-rider class, but with by far the fastest time in the jump-off at 36.51 seconds there was nothing to do about the sympathetic Dutch rider for the rest of the competitors. Suzanne Tepper secured double Dutch on top, as she ended second on KM Wish (Lux Z x Indoctro) with a time of 38.19 seconds in the jump-off. Sweden’s Royne Zetterman ended third on the promising 9 year old Echo de Laubry (Virus de Laubry x Feo), while it was a good day for the home riders who claimed the next three ribbons – with the best Norwegian being Geir Gulliksen on Edesa S Banjan (Toulon x Lys de Darmen).

Click here for full results.

The winner; Gilbert Tillmann. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.It was a very emotional winner that was sitting at the press conference speaking of his win; "I can't believe it! It is unbelievable. I wasn't that interested in horses when I was little, but it was one class that I always followed and it was the Hamburg Derby. It was the only show I watched every year. A couple of years ago I told my father that I wanted to ride the derby, and that it would end like this and everything that happened today - it is a dream!"

Gilbert Tillmann celebrating his win on Hello Max in the Hamburg Derby. Photos by Jenny Abrahamsson.The 19 year old Hello Max (Hallo x I'm A Star) made it all look so easy when he and Gilbert Tillmann won the prestigious Hamburg Derby today. The veteran and his German rider really fought their way through the difficult derby course in front of the home crowds. No riders managed to be clear around the seventeen fence long track, and only two of the 35 riders ended with four faults - Gilbert Tillmann and Carsten-Otto Nagel on Lex Lugar (Lordanos x Landadel). Both of them were prevented from clear rounds by the open water - Lex Lugar got a foot in the water  in the landing while Hello Max also had a hoof in. With four faults for each of the Geman riders, it was a jump-off for the victory. 

Paul Estermann will be going to La Baule. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The Swiss team that will be heading for the opener of the 2013 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup series in La Baule next weekend has been announced. The five riders that will travel to France are; Paul Estermann, Steve Guerdat, Beat Mändli, Pius Schwizer and Janika Sprunger. This is one out of four events where the Swiss can pick up points in the series. To view the team allocation click here.

Penelope and Topinambour have been picked to ride for France in La Baule. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.One team after the other is getting ready for the 2013 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup series Division 1 (Europe) that will kick off in La Baule next weekend. The home team has now been announced and it will consist of; Aymeric de Ponnat on Armitages Boy, Marc Dilasser on Obiwan de Pilière*JO, Olivier Guillon on Lord de Theizé, Pénélope Leprevost on Topinambour and Kevin Staut on Estoy Aqui de Muze*HDC .

Source: The French Equestrian Federation

A huge congrats to the winning team in Hamburg today; Codex One who is owned by Marion Jauß, rider Christian Ahlmann and groom Emma Lindgren! All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson.

Pablo Barrios currently leads the 2013 Hagyard Challenge Series. Photo by Rebecca Walton/PMG.Pablo Barrios has taken an early lead in the 2013 Hagyard Challenge Series. Barrios took home the top spot during Thursday's $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic. The Venezuelan native rode Zara Leandra to a dominating first place finish with a double clear effort in 38.258 seconds. Richie Moloney is holding the second place position in the standings after claiming the second place award on Thursday aboard Slieveanorra. Olympian Margie Engle is currently ranked third in the standings after she went double clear with her veteran mount Indigo to earn the third place honors.

The winners; Kent Farrington and Zidane.Capturing a ribbon was no easy task during today's $20,000 Bluegrass Classic at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show. Forty-two entries gathered at the Rolex Stadium to compete in the 1.45m Open Jumper event, but when 23 qualified for the tiebreaker the results came down to a foot race. Besting the clock and the course was Kent Farrington aboard Zidane, breaking the beam at 38.879 to take home the winning prize. Ramiro Quintana, riding Largo to second place, followed him, and Emanuel Andrade placed third with Walter 61.

Richard Jefferys set a very inviting course for today's event at the Kentucky Horse Park. The first round included an open water option, an oxer-vertical double combination, and a vertical-oxer-vertical triple combination. Twenty-three were able to master the track and advance to the jump-off, where speed and accuracy were the keys to winning. "That was probably more than Richard expected, but he's not building it to be the grand prix," stated Farrington after his win. "I think he just maybe under built for the class today, but that just meant the jump-off turned into a speed class."

The course is open! All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

The top three celebrating in Hamburg. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Christian Ahlmann missed the car on Thursday, but won the watch today: "It felt fantastic! I have had a great day today, and Codex One did an amazing job. In all three rounds he really showed everyone exactly how special he is. I took a lot of risks in the jump-off where I was lucky enough to be in a position that allowed me to watch some of the riders before me, so I knew I had to take risks to win."

The winner; Christian Ahlmann on Codex One. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson.After riding three fantastic rounds on Codex One (Contendro x Glückspilz) Christian Ahlmann ended up winning the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Hamburg. Saturday's Grand Prix - the second leg of the tour - had 44 riders and horses lined up to compete for the win in the huge grass arena in Hamburg. The first round track designed by Frank Rothenberger consisted of 13 fences and 16 jumps, which included a triple combination at 11abc, followed by an open water to a final combination at 13ab. Only eight riders managed to produce clear rounds, as it was the final combination with a vertical - oxer that caused most problems.

The eighteen best riders from the first round came back for the second round. Clear rounders Katharina Offel, Janne-Friederike Meyer, Daniel Deusser, Roger-Yves Bost, Christian Ahlmann, Hans-Dieter Dreher, Gerco Schröder and Pius Schwizer were joined by the fastest four faulters from the first round.

Pius Schwizer is on top of the GCT standings after two rounds. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.After the first two legs of the Longines Global Champions Tour 2013, the overall standing sees Swiss rider Pius Schwizer on top. Pius has collected 56 points altogether in the two first legs, and he is followed by Luciana Diniz as rank two with 54 points. Rank three is Harrie Smolders on 54 points, then follows Kathi Offel on 51 points and Marcus Ehning on 48 points.

Patrick Stühlmeyer and Chasmo. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The eight year old Chin Chin-son Chasmo won the Edsor Youngster Cup Final in Hamburg on Saturday. 30 horses were qualified for the final and today the course went over twelve fences and fifteen jumps. The line from fence six - seven - eight that was placed in front of the VIP tents caused a few problems - some horses got spooky, while some horses got problems with the distances. After a couple of days of jumping some of the youngsters also started to look a bit tired cantering around the huge arena. Seven horses cleared the first round and went on to the jump-off that was all about the time as all the horses cleared that part of the competition as well. 

Aaron Vale and Palm Sunday. Photo by Rebecca Walton.Aaron Vale and Palm Sunday ended on top in the 1.45m Open Jumpers at Kentucky Spring Horse Show yesterday. Schuyler Riley was the trailblazer aboard Andretti, owned by Southbeach Stables of Wellington, FL, but in an effort to leave all the rails in place she posted a conservative time of 38.112 seconds that would place fourth. Ian Millar and Baranus, owned by The Baranns Group of Perth, Ontario, were the next to leave all the fences intact, and they took home the third place honors for a time of 36.735.

Aaron Vale and Palm Sunday, owned by Amen Corner Farm of Folsom, LA, were the next to show over the short course and they blew by Millar's time. They easily maneuvered all the turns and had a nice, open gallop to dash across the finish line in a quick 33.611 seconds. Ireland's Andrew Bourns and Carmina attempted to best Vale's time. They were just a touch short of the winning time in 34.478 seconds to claim second place and seal Vale's victory.

The winners; Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One. Photo by © The Book LLC.The $25,000 New York Welcome Stake, presented by The Hakim Family, was the highlight event today at the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Show. Held on the stunning grass Grand Prix Field, the class featured top show jumping talent. Pan American Games double gold medalists Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One, owned by Candy Tribble and Windsor Show Stables, sped to the win in the class. The first week of the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows continues through Sunday, May 12, and the second week runs May 14-19.

The French team; Nicolas Delmotte, Mathieu Billot, Chef d´Equipe Philippe Guerdat, Francois Xavier Boudan and Timothee Anciaume. Photo by Roland Thunholm/FEI.Yesterday’s Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in Drammen, Norway, saw the French team ending on top of the podium yet again. It was a close call though, with the Dutch team breathing the French riders in the neck all the way to the end. It was the anchor rider for France Timothee Anciaume that secured the win; the 34 year old had already produced a great first clear on Quorioso Pre Noir – a 9 year old stallion by Kannan. Timothee had one of only two double clears in the Nations Cup, the other belonged to French first rider Nicolas Delmotte on Number One d'Iso Un Prince (Baloubet du Rouet x Si Tu Viens). Together with Mathieu Billo on Pardoes (0-(9)) and François Xavier Boudan and Amadeus Z’s ((4)-4) performances it was good enough for the win as the team ended on a total score of four penalties, three ahead of the Dutch team at seven faults. Sweden ended third ahead of the hosts Norway in fourth.  

Shane Carey and Ballymore Eustace will be going to La Baule. Photo by Hanne Christensen.Irish team manager Robert Splaine has announced his squad for the opener in the 2013 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup series in La Baule. The Irish squad of five, from whom Splaine will pick his team of four, is: Shane Breen with Balloon or Cos I Can, Shane Carey with  Ballymore Eustace, Capt. Michael Kelly with Annestown, Shane Sweetnam with Amaretto Darco and Billy Twomey with Tinka's Serenade.

Source: Press release from Horse Sport Ireland

Pius Schwizer with Rafale des Forets. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Pius Schwizer and Rafale des Forets (by l'Arc de Triomphe) ended up on top in Friday's Youngster Cup in Hamburg. 65 horse and rider combinations lined up for the second qualification for the Edsor Youngster Cup. It was the Swiss rider that took home the first prize though, after a clear round in 65,66 seconds. Second went to Denis Lynch with Anyway II (No Limit x Farmer) who was one second slower than the winner.

Emanuele Gaudiano won the second qualification for Sunday's Hamburg Derby after a great and fast round on Chicago (Chambertin x Quinar). All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson.

Nick Skelton and Big Star will compete for Great Britain in La Baule. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Chef d’Equipes Rob Hoekstra and Rob Ehrens have picked their squads for the 5* Furisiyya Nations Cup in La Baule. The Nations Cup competition takes place next Friday. The British team will consist of; Scott Brash on Hello Sanctos, Tina Fletcher on Hello Sailor, Ben Maher on Cella, Nick Skelton on Big Star and Robert Smith on Voila. Frank Schuttert, Hendrik Jan Schuttert, Leon Thijssen, Albert Voorn and Albert Zoer have been picked to represent the Netherlands.

Daniel Deusser and Mouse couldn't be beat today! Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Daniel Deusser and Mouse (Limbus x Grundyman xx) won the NFR Trophy in Hamburg on Friday. The class was set at 1,50 m and was against the clock. It was a track with eleven fences, thirteen jumps and a lot of space to let the horses gallop on the big grass arena. Daniel and Mouse - known for being very fast - were more than a second quicker than runner-up Denis Lynch on Quintus (Quick Star x Grannus).

Pablo Barrios and Zara Leandra.The 2013 Hagyard Challenge Series kicked off with a big win for Venezuela's Pablo Barrios and Zara Leandra during the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic. Topping an 11-horse jump-off at the Kentucky Horse Park during the Kentucky Spring Horse Show, the duo made a dash for the cash that was uncatchable with a double clear effort in 38.258 seconds. Ireland's Richie Moloney was right on his heels with Slieveanorra to claim second, while Margie Engle and Indigo took home the third place award.

Ignace Philips and Swing de Riverland. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Yesterday's first Edsor Youngster Tour qualification in Hamburg was won by the Belgian rider Ignace Philips and Swing de Riverland (Diamant de Semilly x Saphir Rouge). The Yougster Tour was a 1,35 m class against the clock for seven and eight year olds.

65 pairs entered the ring and 30 were clear over the eleven jumps. Philips was the fastest one of them all, with about a second down to Christian Ahlmann on Cocktail (Calato x Exorbitant). Third place went to Patrick Stühlmeyer with Chasmo (Chin Chin x VDL Indoctro) and fourth to Emanuele Gaudiano with Caspar (Casper x Padarco).

Uppity getting some well deserved treats from Madeleine. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson."I thought about the car already yesterday and that I would try to buy it from the winner, as we really need a new car and I like this one. Now I only have to buy half of the car from our sponsor, so of course I'm very happy. It is a fantastic car," Marc Houtzager said happily after winning a Mercedes CLA.

Marc also shared a little info about his horse Sterrehof's Uppity: "Uppity has mostly been going to shows as my second horse. It was only in Den Bosch that I took him with as a first horse and let him do the World Cup, as I wanted to ride him in the speed class in the final. He has a fantastic attitude, he is naturally fast and he always does his best."

Christian Ahlmann ended second with Lorena and said this on the press conference: "I'm really pleased with Lorena, it is the second time she jumps outdoors and she did it really great. Normally I would have been happy with being second, but today I'm a bit upset as I had the same thoughts as Marc about the car - but with me it will stay as a thought," Christian laughed. "But I believe that the audience got to see great sport and a really good jump-off."

The winners: Marc Houtzager and Sterrehof's Uppity. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.After a speedy jump-off Marc Houtzager took home the Mercedes-Benz Championat of Hamburg with Sterrehof's Uppity (Guidam x Epilot). It was a 1,55 m class and course designer Frank Rothenberger really gave the horses and riders a challenge. The triple combination as number three caused plenty of mistakes as several horses had problems with the plank on top of the a-element. But also the line from fence eight to the combination at nine a and b gave the riders a headache, with six or seven strides to the combination and then two really short strides between a triple bar and an oxer.

Reed Kessler with Mika. Photo by Phelps Media Group, Inc. The top horses and riders from across the country have returned to the Kentucky Horse Park this week for the start of the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows. The first day of competition kicked off with the Open Jumper divisions in the Rolex Stadium. Olympian Reed Kessler led the way in the 1.45m Open Jumper class aboard Mika with a double clear effort, while the victory in the 1.40m Open Jumper speed class went to Pablo Barrios riding Colgate.

After the first two legs of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup division 2, Austria and Finland are in the lead with 75 points each. The two countries are followed by Sweden in third  and then Denmark and Belgium which are joint fourth.

Division 2 consists of sixteen teams. The teams can only count their scores from five out of the eleven legs. The next leg will take part in Drammen, Norway, the coming weekend. Italy, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Belarus, Finland and Turkey will battle it out for points in the third leg of the series.

Click here to see the overall standing.

Peter Phillips, Boris Johnson, Nick Skelton, Jan Tops and Walter von Kanel. The Mayor of London was yesterday joined by Team GB gold medallist, Nick Skelton, as they announced details of the LONGINES GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR in the capital, set to be staged adjacent to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The LONGINES GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR, the world’s leading show jumping championships, will be staged at The International Quarter, which is adjacent to the iconic Olympic Park from June 6 – 9th 2013.

David Will with Colorit - here in Den Bosch. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.David Will and Colorit (Coriano x Capitol I) won the Grand Prix in Mannheim on Tuesday afternoon and proved that their World Cup win in Den Bosch was no coincidence. Ten riders made it to the jump-off, but only four of them managed a clear second round. David and the big jumping Colorit were the fastest combination just ahead of Lars Nieberg and Leonie W (Larenco x Grandeur). Albert Zoer and Wollie Bollie (Cantos x Zuidhorn) ended third, with Alberto Michan and Camilo LS La Silla (Portofino x Cor de la Bryere) in fourth.

Hans-Dieter Dreher and Angelina Herröder were awarded as the best riders of the show after good results throughout the long weekend in Mannheim.

Click here for all the results.

Michael Whitaker tops the GCT ranking after the first leg in Madrid. Photo by Stefano Grasso/Longines Global Champions Tour.After the opening leg of the Global Champions Tour in Madrid, the top ten riders on the overall ranking is as follows;

1. Michael Whitaker – 40 points

2. Laura Kraut – 37 points

3. Alvaro de Miranda – 35 points

4. Denis Lynch – 33 points

5. Harrie Smolders – 32 points

6. Luciana Diniz – 31 points

7. Richard Spooner – 30 points

8. Pius Schwizer – 29 points

9. Marcus Ehning – 28 points

10. Emanuele Gaudiano – 27 points

Laura Renwick won in Madrid. Photo by Stefano Grasso/Longines Global Champions Tour.The Global Champions Tour in Madrid finished off the weekend with a double British win in Copa del Rey - Trofeo El Corte Ingles with Laura Renwick in the lead. Laura and Scott Brash were the only two clear riders, but as Scott and Hello Sanctos (Quasimodo V. Molendreef x Nabab de Reve) were about four seconds slower than Laura and Oz de Breve (Dollar du Murier x Grand Veneur) they had to settle for second place as there was no jump-off.

Athina Onassis de Miranda and Penelope Leprevost were also clear over the fences, but had respectively two and three time penalties, placing them as number three and four ahead of Athina’s husband Alvaro de Miranda in fifth place.

Click here for full results.

Mario and Little Pezi won the GP in Linz. Here seen in Stuttgart last year. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Nicola Philippaerts took a brilliant home win in the 4* Grand Prix in Lummen Sunday afternoon aboard Cortez (Quick Star x Quito de Baussy). The first round counted 50 starts, and top 15 got to ride a second round. A jump-off was also scheduled, but as Nicola was the only rider without penalties after two rounds the winner was already decided. Bernardo Alves and Cloud Nine II (Lando x Calido) came close to giving the spectators a jump-off though, but with one time penalty in round two they ended second ahead of Neriske Prinsloo and Bill Clinton (Clinton x Wunderbar) at two penalties.

Click here for full results.

The 4* Grand Prix in Baku Saturday evening went to Patrick Mc Entee and Zidane D (Heartbreaker x Calato) with Alexandra Lusina in second and Mazier Jamshid Khani in third.

The winner; Michael Whitaker on Viking. Photo by Stefano Grasso/Longines Global Champions Tour.It was British veteran Michael Whitaker that ended up on top in the Global Champions Tour opening in Madrid on Saturday. After three exciting rounds, the British veteran was the only rider left on a zero penalty score – after producing one great round after another on a very well jumping Viking. Both runner-up Laura Kraut and third placed Alvaro de Miranda had faster rounds than Michael in the jump-off, but on the expense of a rail down each. It was a jump-off with some strong names in it – the top three were joined by Denis Lynch, Harrie Smolders, Luciana Diniz, Richard Spooner and Pius Schwizer who also produced clears in both the first and the second round.

The winners: Katharina Offel with Pour le Poussage. Katharina Offel went all the way to the top in Saturday's 1.45 accumulator class in Madrid. Kathi rode a super speedy and lovely round with Pour le Poussage (Polytraum x Ladalco) in the beautiful grass ring in Madrid, crossing the finish line with a full score of 65 and a time of 52,36 seconds. None of those to come could catch her. Second place went to William Funnell on Billy Congo (Vechta x Animo Elite) and third place to Maikel van der Vleuten with VDL Groep Zimba (Mermus R x Hemmingway). Always fast Harrie Smolders on Exquis Powerfee (Fedor x Erdball xx) ended on forth place.

Sergio with Abab van het Molenhof. Photo by Stefano Grasso/Longines Global Champions Tour.Laura Kraut took home the 1,45 m class against the clock at the CSI5* in Madrid on Friday. She rode the eight year old Wotsamillion (Captain Clover x Atlantic Boy) to a safe win in 74,70 seconds. Second placed Tim Gredley on the seventeen year old Unex Omelli (Burggraaf x Equador) ended the course in 79.37 seconds and was followed by Tiffany Foster on Victor (Elmshorn x Grandeur).

The 1,50 m class against the clock was won by home rider Sergio Alvarez Moya and Abab van het Molenhof (Nabab de Reve x Calypso I). Sergio was three seconds faster than Marlon Zanotelli with Madame Butterfly (Corrado I x Lavall II) that ended second ahead of William Funnell on Billy Congo (Vechta x Animo Elite).