Edwina Tops GCT Tour

By Staff Report November 24, 2012

Consistency pays off on the Global Champions Tour. Parlaying her extraordinary lead throughout the 2012 season, Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander earned a second consecutive GCT championship crown, even though ranked 27^th in the final test of the 12-part series, the $518,000 Gucci Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi, a CSI5* 1.60m.

Sweden’s Katharina Offel and Fidji Island won the day with no rails and a time of 37.19. Gerco Schroeder and Eurocommerce London were the only other pair with three perfect rounds over designer Uliano Vezzani’s incredibly challenging course in the Al Forsan arena in the final face-off on Nov. 24. His time of 37.27 put him second in the

Sweden’s Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, who went into the final tied with Tops-Alexander for first-place on the tour overall, wound up in second place for the season. Tops-Alexander’s haul for the tour was $2.9 million (€2,245). She more than doubled Bengtsson’s haul ($1.9 million, or €925,000), and became the first GCT rider to top the $2 million mark in prize earnings in the event’s seven-year history.

Both Tops-Alexander and Bengtsson finished on the same number of points, 196, the exact amount with which they entered the final, since neither finish ― Bengtsson was 24^th on Cassal La Silla ― was strong enough to earn them any points. For that, they would have had to finish in the top 18.

In an incredible twist Edwina and Rolf, riding Casall La Silla, both had the same fence down, number 11, giving them 4 faults in the 1st round of the GCT Gucci Grand Prix. Amazingly the two riders also picked up four faults at the same jump in Thursday’s 5* class, and again both had 1 time penalty.

Tops-Alexander an advantage in that her top horse, Cevo Itot du Chateau, is  a more experienced grand prix mount for the tour. The 16-year-old chestnut gelding, who stands 15.45 hands, has won five grand prix on the 2012  GCT tour and is a veteran of two World Cup Finals and two Olympics.  Bengtsson’s Cassal La Silla is a 13-year-old dark bay stallion who stands at 16.1 hands and won two 2012 GCT grand prix, as well as being a finalist for one World Cup and Bengtsson’s mount for the 2012 Olympics.

The extraordinary drama unfolded tonight in front of a full house in the floodlit Al Forsan arena in Abu Dhabi. Spectators did not dare breathe as the two contenders for the GCT crown entered the ring and began their rounds.

Tops-Alexander and Cevo Itot du Chateau jumped a super round until hitting the rail on the 11th fence, tantalizingly close to the finish on the 13-fence course.

In a sensational climax to the series, Edwina’s victory was confirmed after her rival Rolf-Göran Bengtsson also toppled a rail at that same fence.

Tops-Alexander had the advantage of a win at the first GCT event of the season, April 6 in Doha Qatar. The battle for third between Christian Ahlmann, Denis Lynch, Philipp Weishaupt, Michael Whitaker and Marco Kutscher.

Great Britain’s Whitaker wound up in third for the tour, helped along by a strong fourth place finish at the final. Bost was fifth.

There were no U.S. riders competing at the GCT final. Richard Spooner of Agua Dulce, CA, was the top-performing American on the tour and the only one to make the top 10, finishing eighth.

This most unconventional of endings for the GCT got off to an unusual start earlier in the day, when Germany’s Hans-Dieter Dreher and France’s Roger-Yves Bost jointly won the speed class after finishing in an identical time of 60.60.

For complete results for the $518,000 Gucci Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi, click here.

For complete 2012 Global Champions Tour standings, click here.

For the Global Champions Tour main site, which contains beautiful photo galleries and a wealth of information, visit www.globalchampionstour.com

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