Scott Brash, One More Time

Scott Brash and Hello Annie (Photo: RB PRESSE)

The Scottish rider has started this day by winning a class ahead of his mentor John Whitaker, and he ended it the same way! At 29, Scott Brash sweeps all before it, nothing can stop him, not even the experience of John Whitaker, 59, beaten twice in the same day by his compatriot!

With no less than fifteen cleared riders in the first round, among them nine who realize the double-clear that gives access to the jump-off, the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix du Prince de Monaco has offered some great sport. A jump-off, as we like, with an overexcited crowd at every rider in the arena wishing to beat the previous time, and leaving the suspense until the end. The dean, John whitaker, riding Argento (with whom he won the Grand Prix of Hong-Kong in February) quickly took the lead (28,43 secondes) ahead of the Quatarien Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani and the American Jessica Springsteen (already eighth in Cannes, the daughter of the "Boss" ends with a great fifth place).

The public really believed that the British legend would make it, especially because his Monegasque week-end has been going under the best auspices with a victory and two second places. But it wasn’t reckoning with the tenacity of the unbeatable current world number one and his mare Hello M’Lady, penultimate of this jump-off, and who will end their round in 28,45 secondes. Longines Global Champions current title holder and already winner of the leg in Miami, Scott Brash has found in Hello M’Lady a succession horse for his crack Hello Sanctos: “She is a phenomenal horse, she is young, only 9, so she is unexperienced but she is fantastic. Whenever my owners come, I seem to win so they must be my lucky mascot. They need to come more often.”

(Photo: RB PRESSE)

Beaten for the second time of the day (Scott Brash and Hello Annie had won the speed class ahead of John Whitaker and Ornellaia this afternoon), John Whitaker, good loser, joked: “I think I just need more experience. It’s ok if I don’t win, because my horse jumped amazing, you need to know how to lose. I was just really cautious on the last fence so that, that’s where Scott got me. But I can’t complain, for my age it’s no that bad!”

The Italian Emanuele Gaudiano, who went last in this jump-off, end up in the third step of the podium. Kevin Staut, only French representative, is 10. After this seventh Monegasque leg, Scott Brash is getting closer to the lead of the provisional ranking of the Longines Global Champions Tour, which is hold by the Portuguese Luciana Diniz.

All the best riders and horses of the world are now expected at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, next week-end, from July 3rd to 5th, for the Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping, eight leg of this prestigious circuit.

Full results : http://eventcontent.hippoonline.de/1044/sta_erg/05_ergENG.htm?style=longines

Longines Global Champions Tour current ranking after Monaco : http://eventcontent.hippoonline.de/1044/docs/LGCT_ranking_Monaco_2015.pdf

For more information please visit www.globalchampionstour.com