Second place overall in the Global Champions League 2024
Team Riesenbeck International was only beaten by the ladies from Cannes Stars - Ludger Beerbaum: “Proud of my team”
Before the final leg of the 2024 Global Champions League season in Rabat, Morocco, there was really only one question: who would win the jackpot of 1.5 million euros in prize money? Would it be - for the third time in a row - the consistent riders from Riesenbeck International powered by Kingsland, or would the newly founded and highly successful women's team from Cannes Stars, powered by Iron Dames, dominate? They were clearly in first place with 287 to 264 points before the last of the 15 stages, with four wins compared to one victory this season. The lead seemed enormous, but the GCL has its own rules and anything could still happen. The teams at the back of the field were concentrating on increasing their prize money accounts or even qualifying for the GCL play-offs in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) in November.
This was the first time a five-star tournament had been held in Morocco, and the organizers had created a worthy setting for the final of the Longines Global Champions Tour and Global Champions League 2024. The best show jumpers in the world saddled up their horses and enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere on the windy Atlantic coast.
The tension was palpable when, in the first of two rounds, Team Riesenbeck International with Christian Kukuk on Chageorge and Eoin McMahon on Mila were the fifth of the 14 pairs to ride into the sand arena designed by course designer Uliano Vezzani.
Olympic champion Christian Kukuk made the task look so easy with his nine-year-old stallion Chageorge. He finished the course clear. Eoin McMahon rode the 12-year-old mare Mila in a GCL course for the first time this season. Mila suffered a serious injury at the beginning of the year and is now back in top form. This pair also remained clear. Eoin McMahon: “It's incredible, there was a time when we thought we'd never see her compete again. Many thanks to everyone who has helped her to make a full recovery.” No wonder the two riders left the arena together, both with satisfied smiles on their faces.
The Cannes Stars galloped off as the eighth pair with Sophie Hinners on Iron Dames Singclair and Friederike Meyer Zimmermann on Messie van't Ruytershof. The only thing they had to achieve for overall victory was to finish this first round - no matter how. However, the standard was higher. “It's also about getting a good result at the tournament in Rabat,” said Sophie Hinners before her ride. Sophie Hinners also remained clear with her gelding. Now it was up to Janne Friedericke Meyer Zimmermann to make the whole team's dream come true. With another clear round, the women's team secured overall victory in the Global Champions League 2024!
The very difficult final round is quickly recounted: After eight teams brought a double zero round into the scoring, the time factor now played a major role. Philipp Weishaupt and Christian Kukuk competed for Riesenbeck International with the 14-year-old gelding Coby and the 10-year-old mare Just Be Gentle. Their strategy: to end the season with clear and fast rides. After a solid and wonderful round, Christian Kukuk dropped the last pole in the course after a barely perceptible touch, which clearly annoyed the rider. Unfortunately, Coby also made a mistake at the jump-off of the double combination. The ladies from Cannes Stars even had to record three faults on their score sheet.
With a completely clean slate, the Rome Gladiators team won the final leg of the series ahead of Stockholm Hearts and Shanghai Swans. Riesenbeck International finished in fifth place, while the Cannes Stars ended the season in eighth place in Rabat.
There is still a lot at stake for Christian Kukuk on Sunday: he leads the Longines Global Champions Tour ranking with 242 points ahead of Max Kühner (234 points) and Janne Friederike Meyer Zimmermann (216 points). Titles and big prize money await the winner...
Team boss Ludger Beerbaum summed up the 2024 season: “All three pairs demonstrated once again that they were rightly among the favorites! We can live very well with second place in the final classification. Congratulations to the ladies from Cannes Stars. I am proud of my team. Both the way the guys ride and the way their horses jump is simply great.”
Result 14th leg GCL Rabat: https://results.hippodata.de/2024/2423/docs/r_gcl_r2.pdf
Overall result GCL 2024: https://www.gcglobalchampions.com/en-us/gcl/standings