Hardin Towell stole the show at the Longines Global Champions Tour of Shanghai after a phenomenal 15-rider jump-off, winning the CSI5* 1.50/1.55-meter class, and taking the lion’s share of the $377,500 prize money.
World No. 3 Scott Brash finished agonizingly close—just 1/10 of a second behind the U.S. rider after an impressive showing with the 10-year-old chestnut gelding Hello Forever. Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano continued his exceptional form, riding the grey stallion Caspar 232 to third.
The intensity of the competition was fierce, with many of the world’s best horse and rider combinations on form ahead of Saturday’s Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Shanghai. The crowd were on the edge of their seats until the very last fence of the class, with final rider Michael Whitaker and his 14-year-old gelding, the eye-catching Viking, powering round the full height class, and looking strong. But it was not to be, as groans erupted from the watching audience as they rolled the final pole, and despite crossing the line in 34.95 seconds, which would have won the class—instead, they picked up 4 faults to finish in 12th.
The jump-off course called for every trick in the box, with the double of verticals requiring careful set up, seeing a delicate combination before a flat out gallop spanning three quarters of the arena to the last, with a solid hedged fence to finish.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hardin Towell turned tight on New York to take the win in the CSI5* 1.50-/1.55-meter class. Photo by Stefano Grasso/GCT
World No. 1, Simon Delestre of France came a strong fourth with the chestnut gelding Chesall Zimequest, with other combinations of note Maikel van der Vleuten of the Netherlands with VDL Groep Verdi TN N.O.P, Gerco Schröder of the Netherlands with Glock’s Zaranza showing for the first time on the 2016 season, Christian Ahlmann of Germany with Cornado II, Ludger Beerbaum of Germany and Chaman, Edwina Tops-Alexander from Australia with Lintea Tequila and Gregory Wathelet of Belgium with Eldorado van het Vijverhof all in the fast paced jump-off.
But it was Towell and New York, a 10-year-old gelding who took the title, crossing the line in 35.18 seconds, and winning the class at the final gallop ahead of Brash and Hello Forever, who finished in 35.28 seconds, just a fraction behind.
