Shanghai, China – May 2, 2019 – On form Pieter Devos (BEL) rode his “amazing” mare Jade v. Bisschop to a stunning super fast win in the €200,000 SPD Bank CSI5* at the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) of Shanghai.
Devos was first to go in the 9-strong jump off and fought off challenges from some of the world’s speed aces including Marlon Zanotelli (BRA) who came in second and only 0.23 of a second slower with Pius Schwizer (SUI) in third.
Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT
Chinese fans whooped in delight and gasped in surprise as each rider impressed the passionate crowd at the beautiful venue in Shanghai’s Pudong district.
Before the competition dignitaries and officials took part in a ceremony in the arena to official unveil a model of the spectacular new Shanghai Juss International Equestrian Center. The significant development comes after LGCT first debuted top-level international show jumping in China with international horses back in 2014 and since then the popularity of equestrianism has soared.
With the arena bathed in bright sunshine the world’s top riders locked horns in the SPD Bank CSI5* 40 horse-and-athlete combinations set out to challenge Uliano Vezzani’s 16-effort first-round track.
LGCT Ranking leader Pieter Devos and Jade v. Bisschop executed a masterful first round with impressive technique to bag a place in the jump off. He was swiftly followed with a clear round by Alberto Zorzi (ITA) on the dark bay stallion Cinsey.
Christian Ahlmann (GER) was out of contention after his bay stallion Atomic Z had four faults at the red and white plank, which became the bogey fence of the day, and then the horse became unsettled and had other fences down for an uncharacteristic tally of 18.
Abdel Said (EGY) and the exuberant and scopy Jumpy van de Hermitage thrilled spectators with a lively round producing plenty of gasps as they finished clear and into the jump off.
They were joined after polished performances from last year’s Shanghai LGCT Grand Prix winner Gregory Wathelet (BEL), today riding Qualido 3, and Roger-Yves Bost (FRA) and Sunshine du Phare.
Marlon Zanotelli (BRA) rode VDL Edgar M to a place in the jump off and the clear rounds started to flow as riders calculated the optimum strides and turns to stay within the tight time allowed.
Pius Schwizer (SUI) and About A Dream delivered a superbly efficient round and Leopold van Asten (NED) and Jerome Guery (BEL) finalised the jump off contenders.
Photo: Stefano Grasso/LGCT
Devos was first in with Jade and out of the starting blocks at lightning speed. He never took his foot off the accelerator and finished in 31.81 putting enormous pressure on the eight riders to follow.
Zorzi had a rail down and was out of the running but Abdel Said and Jumpy gave it their all with a sharp angle at the start to gain time but finishing in 33.74. It was clear that riders had to make up crucial time in the first half of the course to have any chance of beating Devos.
Wathelet and Qualido 3 looked strong but were slightly adrift at some turns and finished too slow at 33.01. Bosty was unable to match the tremendous pace and crossed the finish line in 35.25.
A thrilling round from Marlon Zanotelli and VDL Edgar M had the audience holding their breath as he was only fractionally behind at the mid-way point. But the clock stopped at 32.04 putting him in second place.
Pius Schwizer and About A Dream looked a sure bet but went a bit wide at one fence and it was to provide costly putting him in third place on the podium in 32.60.
The final challengers Leopold van Asten and Jerome Guery knew they were up against a massive time challenge and both clocked up four faults in their pursuit of the leader.
Speaking after his win Devos, who was widely congratulated by other riders, said, “She is quite a new mare for me at this level and she is jumping amazing. I was first to go in the jump off and fast riders behind me, so I said ok I will take the risk and it worked out. My mare was really with me and did it very well. Marlon really tried and we are all friends here. It is just super.”
Day one of the Global Champions League (GCL) of Shanghai will take place on Saturday, May 4, at 12:15 local time (12:15 a.m. Sunday EST), followed by the LGCT Grand Prix of Shanghai which kicks off at 16:00 local time (4:00 a.m. Sunday EST). Competition will conclude Sunday, May 5, for the final round of GCL Shanghai at 13:15 local time (1:15 a.m. Sunday EST).
RESULTS
€200,000 SPD Bank CSI5*
Place / Horse / Athlete / Country / R1 Faults | Time / R2 Faults | Time
1. Jade v. Bisschop / Pieter Devos / BEL / 0 | 78.43 / 0 | 31.81
2. VDL Edgar M / Marlon Modolo Zanotelli / BRA / 0 | 77.56 / 0 | 32.04
3. About A Dream / Pius Schwizer / SUI / 0 | 74.15 / 0 | 32.60
4. Qualido 3 / Gregory Wathelet / BEL / 0 | 78.31 / 0 | 33.01
5. Jumpy van de Hermitage / Abdel Said / EGY / 0 | 79.65 / 0 | 33.74
6. Sunshine du Phare / Roger Yves Bost / FRA / 0 | 80.32 / 0 | 35.25
7. Garfield de Tiji Des Templiers / Jérome Guery / BEL / 0 | 80.40 / 4 | 31.25
8. VDL Groep Zidane / Leopold van Asten / NED / 0 | 78.13 / 4 | 33.32
9. Cinsey / Alberto Zorzi / ITA / 0 | 78.24 / 4 | 35.66
10. Filou Carlo Zimequest / Simon Delestre / FRA / 1 | 83.73
11. Soory de l’Hallali / Lorenzo de Luca / ITA / 4 | 77.00
12. Beauville Z / Maikel van der Vleuten / NED / 4 | 77.69
For full results, click here.