Newbies Rule at Grand Prix of Monaco

By Staff Report July 3, 2012

Thirty-one-year-old French rider Kevin Staut scored a surprise win at the Grand Prix of Monaco, capping one of the most unpredictable tournaments of the 2012 Global Champions Tour.

Staut triumphed on the Belgian-bred gelding Reveur de Hurtebise, even though horse and rider have only been a team for a mere two months. He was last to go in the jump off and the former European champion took full advantage by producing the fastest clear in the 1.60m event on June 30.

While Germany’s Hans-Dieter Dreher and Embassy II came in second, it was third-place Abdelkebir Ouaddar of Morocco who was the sensation of the night,  beating the best in the world in his GCT debut.

Lauren Hough and Blue Angel were the top-ranked US reps, placing ninth, with a single rail in round B ruining their jump-off chances. Laura Kraut and Belmont had a rail down in each round A and B, for 15th, followed by 20-year-old Jessica Springsteen, another fresh face on the GCT tour, had two rails down in round A, putting her and Vornado van den Hoendrik a respectable 23rd in the field of 39 (and landing her ahead of such vets as Steve Guerdat, Christian Ahlmann, Gerco Schroder and Rodrigo Pessoa).

Set against the backdrop of Port Hercule in Monte-Carlo, the world’s most expensive show jumping horses performed against a backdrop of  some of the most expensive yachts in the world.

Staut’s win capped off a tremendous three days of competition in sweltering temperatures when horses and riders were tested to the full by course designers Uliano Vezzani and Luc Musette, who teamed up for the 5* classes.

The French rider was quick to the Prince’s Palace jump on his 11-year-old mount and finished clear in 37.51, good for a cool $118,000. Dreher was the only other rider to jump three clear rounds in the jump off and his polished performance in 38.16, earning him $71,800.

Ouaddar became an overnight show jumping star riding Porche du Fruitier for owner King Mohammed VI of Morocco. Jumping like a champ he had two clear rounds and then one fence down in the jump off to finish on 37.13.

Prince Albert, a keen supporter of the GCT, presented the prizes to the jubilant winning riders and was accompanied by his niece Charlotte Casiraghi, Honorary President of GCT Monaco and one of the regular riders on the amateur tour.

Members of the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia and Qatar were present during the day as distinguished guests of GCT President Jan Tops to support their national riders.

Leading Saudi rider Kamal Bahamdan produced two superb rounds on his bay mare Noblesse des Tess. Bahamdan led the field for a while with only one time fault and showed he will be a great asset to his national team at the forthcoming Olympic Games in London.

Edwina Tops-Alexander, finished in seventh place on four faults on her famous gelding Cevo Itot du Chateau. Her consistent top-ten placings combined with the rotating mix of winners at the top of the podium and remains top of the GCT ranking so far in the 2012 series.

 

In what will go down as one of the most unpredictable grand prix in GCT history, many of the world’s top riders in round one fell victim to the center vertical in the triple combination. These included Pius Schwizer, Laura Kraut and Scott Brash and Denis Lynch.

It made the successes of Moroccan rider Abdelkebir and fourth-placed  Christina Liebherr of Switzerland, a relative unknown on the GCT circuit, even more impressive.

In the second round Irish rider Denis Lynch, on his powerful stallion All Star, jumped clear but with four faults from the first round he was out of the jump off.

“It was a great result,” Staut said at the press conference following the event. “I have been riding Reveur de Hurtebise for about two months. I have had some good rounds and some bad rounds but I am happy about the result today.

Asked if the support of the home field crowd made a difference Staut responded, “Yes sure, and it is always the best place to ride as the last rider in the jump off. I knew Hans was always fast, but I did not know how it would go for me as it was one of the first jump offs we have done. But the horse is really fast and I just tried to ride a really good round.”

Staut added that it was his first time jumping a course by Uliano Vezzani and Luc Musette. “It was really fair for the horses. They are really horsemen and that is the important thing. It was also difficult because it is really warm here.”

Dreher said he lost time to the black oxer. “I was a little bit wide. It is the first time in Monte-Carlo for me and it is very special and I am very happy. It was a small arena so it was a difficult ride, but very fair.”

In a year in which Middle Eastern riders have come on strong in the sport of show jumping, it was the 49-year-old Ouaddar’s  GCT debut. “Thanks to Jan Tops I am here,” he said. “My horse is only eight years old and not experienced but it is a fantastic result. I hope to ride next in the GCT Chantilly.”

Ouaddar said Morocco “is a horse country with a strong horse culture,” but noted “I came to Europe and now I am trained by Marcel Rozier so thanks to him too.”

GCT President tops expressed satisfaction at seeing new faces  on the podium. “It gives hope to everyone and it is about opening up our sport.”

For complete results visit www.globalchampionstour.com

 

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