Hamburg: Longines Global Champions Tour Arrives in Powerful Equestrian Sports Nation

Hot on the heels of Madrid last weekend, the elite global Tour will make its second European stop in Germany, at the Derby-Park Klein Flottbeck for the historic German Show Jumping and Dressage Derby from May 24-28. The Derby is a major equestrian sports gathering featuring CDI2, CDI4, CSI4* and CSI5* competition, with the 5* GCT Grand Prix incorporating 1.60 metre obstacles for the horse-and-rider pairs. In addition, there is the famous German Jumping Derby over diverse obstacles and efforts — one of the most difficult jumping courses in the world. 

2017 Madrid Grand Prix winner and World No.1 Kent Farrington of the United States is not listed to start in Hamburg this year, just like certain rivals such as Canada’s Eric Lamaze, who narrowly missed out on the jump-off in Spain and came in sixth on Madrid’s Club de Campo Villa grass course. But there is no shortage of world-class riders who will be competing in the maritime German city on the river Elbe, which is also the country’s largest port, long known as a major global trading hub.

Great Britain has an excellent shot at the 2017 podium, with the following group making the trip to northwest Germany: Scott Brash (with Hello Forever, Hello Mr President and Ursula XII), Nigel Coupe (Golvers Hill, Jubilee III), Christopher Frazer (Quisandro), Ben Maher (Galip), Ben Talbot (New Orleans, Undorado Z), John Whitaker (Cassinis Chaplin, Talisman de Mazure) and William Whitaker (Fandango, Furmint, Glenavadra Brilliant). The Irish squad at the event will also be very strong — Bertram Allen, Michael Kearins, Denis Lynch, Ross Mulholland, and Billy Twomey — while riders from different nations will join together for the team Global Champions League Classes.

Not unexpectedly, Germany will be fielding a strong group on home soil in Hamburg, including last year’s Hamburg Grand Prix winner Ludger Beerbaum. For a full entries list, see below. And Hamburg will also be the final competition for the celebrated 19-year-old stallion Casall ASK, who will retire in the city where he is now stabled after winning last year’s Tour with Swedish rider Rolf-Goran Bengtsson.

Germany is a traditional equestrian sports power, and will host a second leg of the Tour (the 11th overall) in Berlin from July 28-30. Between now and then, the world’s top show jumping horses and riders will head to Cannes, Monaco, Paris, Cascais, Portugal and Chantilly, France. After Berlin, it’s off to London, Valkenswaard, the Netherlands, Rome and Doha, Qatar to wrap up the 2017 season.