Edwina Tops-Alexander and Identity Vitseroel, pictured here at a previous event.
© GCL
Edwina Tops-Alexander claims overall LGCT and GCL series leads
Edwina Tops-Alexander leads both the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) and Global Champions League (GCL) standings following the seventh leg of the series in Monaco.
Edwina and her Tokyo horse, Identity Vitseroel, made the jump off and finished fifth in the LGCT Grand Prix, which was enough to see the Australian take the overall lead with 152 points. Peder Fredricson dropped to a close second just 3 points behind and Ben Maher clings onto third spot with 132 points.
In the GCL team race, Valkenswaard United (Alberto Zorzi and Edwina Tops-Alexander) managed to hold on to the overall lead after finishing tenth.
“Thank you Identity and my team for giving me all the strength to finish up 5th in the GP. It was definitely one of the toughest courses I’ve ever ridden. This was my last preparation into Tokyo and I couldn’t be more happy.
“It’s taken some time to find my buttons with Identity, but I think I’ve found them now! Also in the lead for the LGCT ranking and GCL official ranking is just incredible. Competing in my home town of Monaco with so many friends supporting me really ment a lot. Thanks again for everyone watching and my next stop with will be Valkenswaard CSI5* with Fellow (Castlefield) and his friends!”
In the LGCT Grand Prix, it was a display of sheer brilliance as Darragh Kenny set hearts racing with a sensational victory on Idalville d’Esprit. The Irishman was in unbelievable form this weekend also triumphing earlier alongside Nayel Nassar for Paris Panthers in the GCL team showdown. Barely a second separated the top three riders in a breathtakingly fast 6-way jump-off where Max Kühner stepped up to the podium in second place on the young Eic Coriolis des Isles and third spot was snatched up by first to go in the jump-off Olivier Philippaerts and the talented H&M Legend of Love.
Darragh Kenny and Idalville d’Esprit.
© LGCT
Kenny’s win means he is the latest addition to the GC Prague Playoffs, with a ticket to the elite line-up in the LGCT Super Grand Prix which will take place in Prague this November.
A thrilled Kenny said: “My horse felt fantastic! I have been a bit unlucky recently having one down in my recent Grand Prix. I said to my owner last week that I just need to ride him better and he jump better and all weekend he was fantastic. He loves this ring in Monaco. I was just thinking about today and I just wanted to do a good job for him.”
The Championship race now looks to Berlin, for the 8th leg of the 2021 season as the battle for LGCT and GCL glory intensifies.
Source: LGCT press release / edited by Equestrian Life
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