Tops-Alexander Tops in Doha

By Staff Report April 10, 2012

Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander and her show jumping superstar Cevo Itot du Chateau did not disappoint in the opening leg of the 2012 Global Champions Tour, winning the $600,000 Grand Prix of Qatar in Doha on April 7.

After two initial rounds, the reigning 2011 GCT champion bested rivals in a high-powered jump-off of seven. Tops-Alexander was first to go, and afterward felt her time of 40.99 was fast enough to win.

It came down to a story of split second timing, with no more than half-a-second separating first from fourth: Germany’s Marco Kutscher (41.24); Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer (41.32); and Ireland’s Billy Twomey (41.44), respectively.

Tops-Alexander is currently the world’s top ranked female rider and already GCT’s first euro millionaire. “Itot is in great shape. It is his first outdoor show this year. He is 16 years old but he feels fresh and I have had a wonderful show,” she said at the post-event press conference. “Titus and all my horses have really been super.”

“Going first in the jump off is definitely difficult. I came out of the ring and said to Jan [Tops, her husband, an Olympic Gold Medal-winning show jumper from the Netherlands], ‘I don’t think I am fast enough.’ But the horse jumped amazingly. As a rider you are only as good as the horse you are sitting on and he was good.”

The first major grand prix of European season marks the start of a very intensive road for riders and horses with their eye on the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. More than 80 horses were flown to Qatar for the GCT, a key indicator of the robust season ahead.

A field of 44 riders started out in the Grand Prix of Doha with 16 jumping clear in the first round. A further seven jumped double-clears, including Germany’s Marcus Ehning (2010 GCT Champion) and Christian Ahlmann and the Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten, setting the scene for an edge-of-your seat final round from some of the giants of the sport.

Tops-Alexander praised Italian course designer Uliano Vezzani as “one of the best in the world” and said his courses had delivered top-level competition in Doha.

Runner-up Kutscher, riding Cornet Obolensky, called it “a good jump off,” and said he is “really pleased with second place and happy my horse is in good form.”

Schwizer, who was second in Doha in 2011, praised his horse Verdi III and predicted a great future for the 10-year-old KWPN gelding.
GCT president Jan Tops summed up the jump off and the three days of show jumping in Doha as incredible. “The jump off results are amazing, half a second between first and fourth! This is absolutely top sport, great precision, deft riding.”

The victorious riders were cheered by a passionate crowd as they took a lap of honour under floodlights at the immaculate large sand arena at the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s Al Rayyan last night.

Qatar Equestrian Federation president Hamad bin Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah praised the partnership with GCT and said discussions are underway for 2013. “Co-operation with GCT is developing nicely and we are in discussions to see how we can go forward together,” Al Attiyah said at the press conference.

Leading Qatari rider Sheikh Ali bin Khaled Al Thani narrowly missed making the jump-off after his horse, Whitaker, had a heartbreaking rail at the final fence.

In an interview preceding the competition, Sheikh Al Thani said of his horse, a nine-year-old stallion out of Indoctro, “It is good to start here with the young horse and then we will see about the rest of the year. It is the first time he jumped this grand prix. He is just nine, but I have been impressed so far. In terms of the sport here in Qatar, six riders are doing the 5* now and others want to get there. We have some good riders and that is good for the future.”

Longines is GCT timekeeping partner for Doha and three other events this year. At the press conference Charles Villoz, vp sales for Longines, said the global brand’s long history of involvement in equestrian sport made for a fitting partnership with GCT. “We are honored (to be) working with GCT and Doha was a very nice experience. We have this passion. Horse sport for us is very important.”

From her perspective, Tops-Alexander said the Doha leg of the GCT was unique in many ways. “I find it really interesting [experiencing] a different culture and I really enjoy coming to this part of the world. There is massive growth here and it is fantastic to have Arab riders involved and very strong in our sport of show jumping.”

“I have seen the Qatari riders getting better and better and that is good for our sport,” Kutcher added.
The Global Champions Tour moves to the Oliva Nova resort south of Valencia in Spain May 4-6 for the second leg of the 2012 season.

For complete results, click here. For further information on the Global Champions Tour visit www.globalchampionstour.com.

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