BY RIZWAN REHMAT
DOHA: Australian showjumping legend Edwina Tops-Alexander produced a perfect final run on the sixth day of the CHI Al Shaqab challenge yesterday, winning the CSI5* Grand Prix with a faultless routine.
Edwina, who will celebrate her 41st birthday later this month, guided Lintea Tequila to the winning time of 38.86 seconds under the lights of the Al Shaqab Arena here.
Swiss rider Martin Fuchs teamed up with Clooney 51 to secure the second spot whereas Italian Emanuele Gaudiano — riding Admara 2 — finished third.
“Everybody has the same idea and the same goal and that is to win this Grand Prix,” Edwina said.
“This was my first time with this horse. She jumps outdoors. I didn’t really have much to lose. I am very fortunate to have a horse like this,” she said.
“I have good folks training and managing me. I actually thought I would end up third or fourth when I stepped out. I wasn’t fast enough but it went in my way today,” the Australian said.
“If you want to win, you have to give your maximum. I don’t think I could have given it more than I did today,” she said.
When asked if there would be any arguments about sharing the prize money with her coach and husband, former Dutch champion Jan Tops, the Australian smiled and said: “For sure not now.”
Edwina won €165,000 for her efforts while German Fuchs had to settle for €100,000. Third-placed Gaudiano went home richer by €52,500.
Earlier, Patrik Kittel of Sweden roared back from a second-place finish on Friday to grab the top spot in the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music dressage competition yesterday.
Kittel, riding Watermill Scandic, finished the competition ahead of the world’s best dressage rider, Carl Hester of Great Britain. Kittel managed a score of 77.275 points.
Hester, who was part of Great Britain’s gold medal-winning dressage team at the 2012 London Olympics, concluded his Doha trip with a tally of 76.725 points.
Anders Dahl, who had finished in third place on Friday, failed to better his performance yesterday as his ride, Wie-Atlantico de Ymas, refused to show spark on the final day.
Dahl finished with a tally of 75.300 points.
“Carl did a really good job… I somehow managed to go all the way today. Actually I have been lucky to have really nice horses,” Kittel said after his win worth €25,000.
“He (Watermill Scandi) is an understanding horse. I would like him to do a couple of nice shows like the one we had in Doha this week. Even at the prize distribution, he was well behaved (laughs),” Kittel said after his victory.
Hester, as usual, displayed his sense of humour at the news conference.
“I mean we were prepared to wilt in the heat,” laughed Hester after finishing second.
“That was going to be enough to keep him quiet. I am used to him spooking around the last six years that I have been riding him,” the 33-year-old Briton said.
“But it was a test for him. It always is a test as a rider at a show like this. The trick is not to worry about the results. There’s nothing disappointing in him coming second, at least not for
the horse anyway,” he said to roars of laughter at the news conference.
Hester picked up €20,000 while Dahl got richer by €15,000.
Fahad Al Qahtani, Executive Director of Al Shaqab, yesterday said: “It was an amazing week. It could not have been better. I want to thank all the people, who have been involved in this, for making this an exceptional show. Right from the day when we had the vaulting, it has been exceptional. We keep talking to the media and spectators and we have got some wonderful and unexpected feedback from them.”
THE PENINSULA
