The Longines Global Champions Tour of Cannes opened with David Will and Bertram Allen winning the 1.45m opening CSI5* class in an incredible dead heat. The pair crossed the line with identical times, sharing the win in the Prix BMW Bayern Avenue despite the challenging weather conditions.

The world’s best horses and riders were truly tested in the afternoon class, with thunder and lightning thrown into the mix on the normally sunny destination of Cannes. Just a stone’s throw from the world famous La Croisette, the Cannes event is a special combination of glamour and top-class sport in the heart of the French Rivera, with today's opening class kick-starting the weekend of showjumping. The two phase competition, where riders had to jump the first half of the class clear in order to progress to the timed element, was a course designed by Uliano Vezzani and gave enough challenges to for the world class combinations while also providing a fair and jump-able course. 

David Will soon stormed the lead with his experienced 16-year-old mare Mic Mac du Tillard (Cruising x Galoubet A), crossing the finish line in an impressive 26.36 seconds. Hot on his heels was Jos Verlooy who rode a beautiful round with Farfelu de la Pomme (Vigo d''Arsouilles x Darco) but was unable to match David’s time, finishing in 28.78 seconds and eventually 4th overall. Pedro Veniss was the next rider to have a go for the lead with AD Argos (Padinus x Concorde), riding a careful round amidst the downpour. The pair put in a valiant effort, and stopped the clock on 28.20 seconds finally ending third.

Towards the end of the round Bertram Allen set off at a pace with Quiet Easy (Quidam''s Rubin x Zapateado), notably notching it up a gear as the pair jumped cleanly into the second phase. Renowned for his speed and agility, Bertram guided the chestnut gelding around the course at a pace that showed intention to win. Bertram crossed the finish line in 26.36s, matching that of David Will’s to the millisecond.

Source: Press release from LGCT // Picture © Stefano Grasso/LGCT