Schroder Hits Cannes Jackpot

By Staff Report June 17, 2012

Gerco Schröder hit the GCT jackpot, beating Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Edwina Tops-Alexander in the Grand Prix of Cannes on June 16.

The Dutch rider hit the gas early in the jump off on his stallion Eurocommerce London, accelerating to the finish in 34.22, beating Bengtsson (SWE) and Casall La Silla and Tops-Alexander (AUS) and Cevo Itôt du Chateau.

Tops-Alexander was last to go and the crowd held their breath as she entered the ring to try for a historic hat trick―three consecutive GCT Grand Prix wins in Cannes. The packed grandstand went silent as the Australian golden girl and her star horse flew cleanly over the course, but their time of 34.89 put them in third on the challenging CSI-5* 1.60m course by Uliano Vezzani.

Tops-Alexander remains current ranking leader of the GCT 2012 series so far, having led since the opening event in Doha, Qatar, in April. It means the GCT series is wide open with several leading riders in contention for the overall championship at the end of the season in November.

Schröder’s horse had the least experience but the Dutch rider, who scooped €94,050 for first place, said: “I had a feeling he could win. For me he is a very special horse. From when he was young I had a feeling about him.” Schröder bought London at age 5 and started riding him a year later. “This year I wanted to ride him and do a good performance here,” he said.

Bengtsson, now fifth on the GCT ranking, said he is “very, very happy to be second. When you go out first in the jump off, you have to take a risk, but today Casall was in great form.” The champion Swedish rider said he will soon have to choose between Casall and Ninja for the London Olympics: “It looks like Casall because I am still waiting for Ninja to get fit again. We will have to make a decision soon as time is running on.”

Tops-Alexander received the biggest cheers of the night as she bid for her third Cannes Grand Prix win and the chance to make a mark on equestrian history. Speaking about the result she said, “So close, but so far. Itôt is in great form and if someone had told me I would be third I would have been very happy. We are all here to try to win. Maybe I could have done one less stride to the last, but I am very happy.”

GCT President Jan Tops said that even after witnessing 30 years of show jumping in Cannes, “It gets better and better every year. The crowd is really knowledgeable, always cheering and enthusiastic. The show and the sport have developed so much over the years. Today at lunchtime I was able to watch the amateur riders competing here on my iPhone, which means we are bringing the sport into people’s homes and giving it more exposure all the time.”

Earlier in the day, Frenchman Philippe Rozier and Akita took top honors in the Prix Locarama CSI-5* 1.45m class. Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt and Leoville 2 came in second, with Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Palouchin third.

In Friday night’s Prix Le Touessrok 1.50m CSI-5*, the USA’s Laura Kraut and Belmont came in third behind winner Steve Guerdat (SUI) and Jalisca Solier and Christian Ahlmann (GER) and Lorena 111. The American rider from Wellington, FL, was fourth in the Thursday grand prix of like scope on Tierra.

In 2000 what was then called “International Show Jumping Week of Cannes” became what was at the time the world’s richest horse show, with $1.4 million in prize money,  and it remains one of the best-endowed shows even today.

Complete Grand Prix of Cannes results.

 

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