Championship battle to intensify at 5th leg in Hamburg

Longines Global Champions Tour ranking leader and World No1 Scott Brash will be in Hamburg and up against a heavyweight opposition as he battles to hold on to his No1 spot.

Brash will be riding Hello Sanctos, now the world’s No1 horse, at the event where retail giant H&M will be presenting sponsor of the Grand Prix for the first time. But he will come up against a determined onslaught from home riders including Daniel Deusser, Ludger, Beerbaum, Marcus Ehning and Hans-Dieter Dreher.

Deusser, No2 in the World Ranking, will be gunning for a big win on home territory in Hamburg, which attracted more than 85,000 spectators last year. Daniel will have his star horse Cornet D’Amour at the event.

The big grass Derby arena will again be a stiff test for the world’s top riders and today Volker Wulff, co-organiser with Longines Global Champions Tour, said: “The Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix presented by H&M on Saturday will bring the best riders in the world to Hamburg. The 4th leg of the Tour just ended in Shanghai last week and it’s a true privilege that these top riders come directly here to our show. We are glad to have a new presenting sponsor of the Grand Prix from Scandinavia, the popular fashion label H&M. Because of its connection with fashion, H&M will present the “best style” prize on Sunday after the Derby.”

Among the starry array of horse power at the event will be Aragon Z, Winningmood, Chaman, Plot Blue, Casall Ask, Voyeur and Ohlala.

Local hero Daniel Deusser recently spoke about the Longines Global Champions Tour’s revolutionary impact on show jumping and about becoming a dad for the first time admitting: “Horses no longer have first priority.”

Speaking about the Tour he said: “We start at the most important and famous locations all over the world. This is incredibly attractive, also for the spectators. For example, they stand in the middle of metropolitan Paris under the Eiffel Tower and watch show jumping. This increases the reputation of the equestrian sport. On top of that, there is attractive, very high prize money.”

Brash is currently leading the ranking on 105 points and is 10 points ahead of Luciana Diniz from Portugal. Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer is in third on 88 points after a highly successful outing in Shanghai last weekend and Bassem Hassan Mohammed of Qatar is in fourth place on 66 points. With 40 points up for grabs for the winner the stakes will be high at the famous Derby arena in Hamburg.