The riders were amazed at the fourth of 15 stages of the Longines Global Champions Tour when they entered the new, futuristic and ultra-modern Shanghai Juss International Equestrian Centre in the World Equestrian Expo Park in the heart of the Chinese metropolis. After a four-year break, the most prestigious show jumping series is now back in China in an impressive setting. The spectators are still enthusiastic about the equestrian sport. The stands and stalls are very well attended, there is applause and cheering for all participants.

In the Global Champions League team competition, Marco Kutscher, rider of the Rome Gladiators, showed the first clear ride in the difficult 1.55 meter course in round one with a textbook ride on Karajan, and his international colleagues watching in the stands took this performance as an example. The home team - the Shanghai Swans - lived up to all expectations. Pius Schwizer and Daniel Deusser delivered the acclaimed first two clear rounds to take the lead.

The Riesenbeck International team, consisting for the first time during the season of Philipp Weishaupt with his gelding Zineday and the U-25 rider Harry Allen with the ten-year-old Calculatus, got off to the worst possible start. After a refusal and a knockdown from Calculatus, 18 faults were on the list. It was almost impossible for the Weishaupt/Zineday pair to make up for this. They also dropped a pole at the first jump of the triple combination. Result after round one: 22 faults.

In the second and deciding round under floodlights, the two riders from Riesenbeck International, as the first starters, had to make up as many places as possible. The 1.60 meter course designed by Uliano Vezzani and Peter Grant was again technically demanding. Harry Allen got off to a motivated start. But Calculatus had two refusals and was therefore eliminated. Philipp Weishaupt decided not to start in round two, as the team would not have been able to benefit from his start. He is qualified for the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix on Sunday with Zineday.

Ludger Beerbaum commented rather disillusioned from the distant Riesenbeck: “If we continue at this level, we will remain in the lower ranks...” In Shanghai, his team finished 13th and thus second last.

The GCL stage in Shanghai was won by the home team Shanghai Swans to great jubilation ahead of the Istanbul Warriors and the Doha Falcons.

Result: https://results.hippodata.de/2024/2412/docs/r_gcl_r2.pdf

All results at: www.longinestiming.com/equestrian/2024/longines-global-champions-tour-of-shanghai-shanghai/#area3