The Global Champions Tour is proud to announce as it opens in Monte Carlo, Monaco, the creation of a new friendship initiative between the United Arab Emirates and the rest of the world. Leading UAE conglomerate Gulf Horizon Group are using the GCT as a platform to inspire cultural awareness between nations. “The Global Champions Tour is an international world class series with shows in countries with many international connections and cultural diversity such as Monte Carlo, with competitors who are similarly diverse and we think this will make an excellent vehicle to bring down some of the barriers between  our cultures” said Christine Stibi, founder of the Office for German/UAE relations and a former show jumper herself. Christine is also eminent in raisng money for charity via The Horse Diamond, a one carat synthetic diamond created from hair from Ludger Beerbaum's champion horse Goldfever. For the last three years the diamond has been auctioned for one years ownership, the proceeds entirely being donated to cancer research. Last year Jan Tops was the winning bidder and 55'000Euro made its way to that worthy cause. Bidding to be this year's recipient will officially open at a press conference on Saturday and close at the GCT Final in Dohar. 

In the GCT jumping 5***** , the opening speed class was won easily by Ludo Phillipaerts with his amazing black stallion Tauber van Het Kapelhof. After a similar victory in Cannes this took the remarkably consistent horse's tally of top class wins to 47. The pair beat Rodrigo Pessoa who  was second on Palouche de Ligny, by over a second. Another Cannes winner, Alvaro de Miranda, was third on AD Peanuts.   

Course designer Frank Rothenberger made good use of the limited space in the arena for the second class with plenty of changes of direction and a combination heading straight towards the VIP area. In the end eleven out of 47 starters made it too the jump off including recent Villamoura Grand Prix winner Daniel Deusser, Edwina Alexander, Albert Zoer, two of Ireland's finest Denis Lynch and Jessica Kurten and Italian speed merchant Gianni Govoni.   

Jessica had a misunderstanding and a stop on the highly strung Castle F Forbes Myrtille Poulais but was still fairly fast under the circumstances  but then Clarissa Crotta  (Made in Margot) really showed how fast it could be done when clear in 30.13. But her lead was short lived. Gianni Govonni and Love Affair, who have won and been placed several times on the Tour this year, took three whole seconds off her time. Then everyone else had to play catch up and several combinations were forced into errors including Albert Zoer and Edwina Alexander. Daniel Deusser who must be getting a bit tired of his rivalry with Gianni persuaded Aboyeur W to stay clear in 29.95 for second and Denis Lynch (Nabab's Son) made a good effort, 36.66 being good enough for fourth. The only other clear was Finlands Maiju Mallat who finished 5^th. 

Results
Class 1
1.    Ludo Phillipaerts BEL, Tauber van Het Kapelhof, 0, 44.6
2.    Rodrigo Pessoa BRA, Palouchin de Ligny, 0, 46.01
3.    Alvaro de Miranda BRA, AD Peanuts, 0, 47.11   

Class 2
1.    Gianni Govoni ITA, Love Affair, 0,0, 27.06
2.    Daniel Deusser GER, Aboyeur W, 0,0, 29.95
3.    Clarissa Crotta SUI, Made in Margot, 0,0, 30.13
4.    Denis Lynch IRE, Nabab's Son, 0,0, 36.66  

Quotes
Rodrigo Pessoa- “The infrastructure here is what it is, there is going to be a lack of space with the city being stuck between the sea and the mountains. But the charm of the city is unique even among the venues of the GCT, the show has a great atmosphere and you cannot help but enjoy it.”  

Denis Lynch- “I tried everything I knew and Nabab was fast enough but his rider is too slow! That Gianni and his mare, you just know if he leaves them all up its all over!” 

Daniel Deusser- “It is getting a bit boring, me and him, especially when it is me coming second.....”  

Gianni Govonni- “The mare she is like a polo pony but she can do this height as well as pure speed classes. She was second recently in a Grand Prix in Amsterdam. I am sorry to beat Daniel again, it must be boring for him but I hope it continues!”

Ludo Phillipaerts with his amazing black stallion Tauber van Het Kapelhof

Photo credits to www.photostationonline.com 
For full results and other information go to www.globalchampionstour.com

© Cyberhorse 2009 Lulu Kyriacou