Philipp Weishaupt and Coby won the CSI3* 1.50m CHG Grand Prix at Spring MET I 2024 in Oliva Nova, Spain. Photo © Hervé Bonnaud/1clicphoto.com.
Press release from Mediterranean Equestrian Tour
The third and last week of Spring MET I 2024 concluded on Sunday with a German one-two in the CSI3* 1.50m Grand Prix presented by CHG - Construcciones Hispano Germanas S.A., with Philipp Weishaupt and Coby 8 (Contagio x Escudo 19, bred by Jürgen Geffken) taking the win ahead of his compatriot Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann and Messi van’T Ruytershof (Plot Blue x For Pleasure, bred by Stal van’T Ruytershof) in second.
Only five horse-and-rider-combinations out of the 50 at start cleared the first-round track set by the French course designer Gregory Bodo and joined the deciding jump-off where Weishaupt and Coby were the fastest, stopping the clock on 35.94 seconds.
“Bodo built a challenging course today, with a few tricky lines,” Weishaupt said after his victory. “The time allowed was short as well, which caused a bit of difficulties to some riders.”
“I knew I have a super-fast horse, and he has felt good during our time here so my plan was just to let him go a little,” he said about his strategy for the jump-off. “I did not go flat out. I just did a very smooth round and I was lucky it turned out so good and I was fast enough to win in the end.”
Philipp Weishaupt and Coby. Photo © Hervé Bonnaud/1clicphoto.com.
“It is so special to have him,” Weishaupt said about his ride, the 14-year-old gelding Coby. “His way of doing things, his mentality and his carefulness are incomparable. The number of classes he has won is incredible. He does not look like the flashiest horse, but he delivers great results.”
“This was my first time riding here since the Longines Global Champions Tour thirteen years ago,” Weishaupt said about the venue at Centro Ecuestre Oliva Nova. “We had a fantastic time here with great weather and good facilities. I enjoyed my time in Oliva and we will definitely be coming back.”
Ireland’s Harry Allen and Calculatus (Cachassini x Contello, bred by Rudolf Spiekermann) placed third, while Germany’s Christian Kukuk and Mumbai (Diamant de Semilly x Nabab de Reve, bred by De Moerhoeve) finished fourth ahead of Sweden’s Linda Heed aboard Skylander VS (Stolzenberg x Cassini II, bred by Viksbergs Säteri AB) in fifth – all with four faults in the jump-off.
Spring MET 2024 continues on February 6 with the second edition of the tour, which runs until February 25 and is followed by Spring MET III in March and Spring MET IV in April.
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