Superstar Scott Wins 2013 Longines Global Champions Tour Title and the Grand Prix in Doha!
Saturday 23 November 2013
Is there anything that Scott Brash isn’t capable of? Well it certainly doesn’t look it having watched his tremendous achievement in Doha this evening.
Winning the final Grand Prix of the 2013 season he also took the overall Global Champions Tour title by securing enough points to head the league table. Riding Hello Sanctos, the 11 year-old bay gelding owned by Lady Pauline Kirkham and Lord & Lady Harris Scott put in an absolutely stunning performance on this, his Olympic and European Team gold medal winning horse across both rounds of the competition.
One of only nine clears achieved in the first round saw Scott qualify for the second round of the Grand Prix where the top eighteen horses come forward. With three clears achieved in the second round, one of them being Scott he had to come forward once again for a timed final jump off against German riders Ludger Beerbaum and Marcus Ehning.
In his inimitable style, and last to go in the jump off, Scott put in a performance that had not only the spectators shaking their heads in disbelief but also the field of world class riders watching from the ringside. Jumping clear and stopping the clock in a time of 43.17seconds as a result of turning incredibly tight back to a double he proved himself unbeatable relegating Ludger Beerbaum and Chiara to second place with his clear in a time of 43.83 seconds. Third place went to Marcus Ehning and Plot Blue having had a fence down.
Scott’s dramatic series victory saw him leap from 8th place position to 1st place in the overall ranking, a feat that many would have thought unattainable. This triumph most certainly couldn’t have been a better 28th birthday present for him as by winning both titles he secured a prize fund of €443,000!
Hello Sanctos’ delighted owners were at the spectacular Al Shaqab, Qatar final in Doha to witness yet another crowning moment for this absolutely amazing horse. They would most certainly have been kept on the edge of their seats throughout as it was an incredibly tense and hard fought final with cliff-hangers galore. Joining Scott and Hello Sanctos in the arena for the prize giving it was all to evident by their huge smiles the enjoyment they have in owning such an amazing horse and having Scott as their rider.
American rider Laura Kraut, whom had looked in an incredibly strong position to secure the title having started off in pole position, ended up finished in third place. Having incurred faults in the first round it meant that she wasn’t able to come forward and contest the jump off resulting in them losing the opportunity to accrue any more points on the league table.
Rob Hoekstra, World Class Showjumping Performance Manager for Great Britain, was also in Doha supporting Scott and talking shortly after the awards ceremony couldn't have sounded more jubilant. Talking of Scott's win he commented "I am absolutely over the moon with the win. We made a specific plan to go for the Grand Prix with Sanctos and it couldn't have gone better. Scott rode him beautifully and it all just went right. Scott is the youngest person to have won the title, he is the only person to have won the final Grand Prix along with the overall series and the first to win it on his birthday! He rides beautifully, he thrives under pressure and the way he pulled off the short turn to the double in the jump off was nothing short of great".
For further information on the 2013 Global Champions Tour series please visit www.globalchampionstour.com
.JPG "Sophie Paxton Rides her 'Horse of a Lifetime' to a Win in the Redpost Equestrian Senior Foxhunter Second Round at Bogenraith Equestrian Centre")
