Text © World of Showjumping

Great Britain’s Alexander McLean and the 10-year-old mare Calixte Heartbreaker Z (Cicero Z x Heartbreaker) took Saturday’s biggest win in Abu Dhabi (UAE), topping the CSI5* 1.50m, a competition counting for the Longines Rankings Group B, while the second five-star class of the day, a CSI5* 1.50m counting for the Longines Rankings Group C, went to Germany’s Sophie Hinners and the 10-year-old mare Iron Dames Kaleni Jo (Kannan x Indoctro). 

Stopping the clock on 32.08 in the second phase, McLean took the win ahead of Sweden’s former world number one Henrik von Eckermann and Qasirah van de Reistenhoek (Emerald x Kannan), who had to settle for second 0.13 behind the winner. Sophie Hinners (GER) and Lommers (Carrera VDL x Quasimodo Z) completed the top three when crossing the beam in 32.23, while David Simpson (IRL) on Pjotr van de Kruishoeve (Bamako de Muze x Taran de La Pomme) and Antonia Pettersson Häggström (SWE) aboard Qartoon van de Plataan (Emerald x Toulon) followed in fourth and fifth respectively.

The second five-star class of the day, a CSI5* 1.50m counting for the Longines Rankings Group C, went to Sophie Hinners and Iron Dames Kaleni Jo. With a time of 25.98 in the second phase, Hinners took the top honours in what was the second Grand Prix qualifier of the weekend, while Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) on Calizi (Cellestial x Stakkatol) took the runner-spot in 26.27.

The host nation’s Saeed Moh’D Al Maazmi and Passion vd Donkhoeve (Dallas x Kashmir van Schuttershof) placed third when stopping the clock on 26.45, followed by Kristaps Neretnieks (LAT) on Sir Schmidt (Stolzenberg x Escudo) in fourth in 26.98 and Shane Breen (IRL) aboard BP Arctic Blue (A Pikachu de Muze x Chacco-Blue) in fifth in 27.20.