Bertram Allen is the youngest winner ever of a Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix and this was his first time on the podium – so the Irish rider went to the top straight away: "I have only done a few Global Champions Tours since I wasn't ranked high enough last year, and it is my first podium finish and to get to the top makes it even more special. I have to show so much appreciation to my horse – he is 17 years old and trying that hard over three rounds in this heat, that was really special. Thank you also to Jan and Longines for the support and especially thanks to Uliano – the course builder – who I have built a relationship with. Most of the 5* Grand Prix classes that I have won Uliano has built so I was happy to see his name of the list again today!"
There are only two years between Bertram and his ride Romanov: "Yes, I think that is pretty unique," his rider laughed.
Luciana Diniz ended second with Fit for Fun: "I want to thank everyone. All of you make this place so special, so I want to thank all of you and all the horses and I'm just here today because of this, so thank you!"
Darragh Kenny was the second Irish rider on the podium and it was his first podium finish in at Global Tour as well: "It is amazing, these Global Champions Tour shows are fantastic. They are run brilliantly and everything is super about them. I'm very lucky to be here in Paris. Actually Jan helped a little bit for me to be here so I'm very thankful to him. Longines is a super sponsor and it is amazing just to be here in Paris. I was really proud of my horse today, he jumped absolutely incredible over the three rounds. He was never going to be as fast as these two (Allen and Diniz) since he is a slower horse, but I was still trying. Bertram did an amazing job, and I'm happy an Irish guy could win anyway and I was happy to hear the anthem being played."
Luciana is still in the lead of the series, and got the question how she feels about that: "I want to tell a little history before that. My children always ask me ‘what is for you the goal to go to the shows’ and I answer 'it is just to love the challenge of the show' – so love the challenge of the day. So when they have a tennis match I say 'love the challenge of the day' and my challenge is to be in the lead and today my children are very proud of me and I'm very happy!"
Jan Tops said this: "Our sponsors are of course very important but we shall not forget about the riders and the horses who gave the maximal effort all the way here in the heat. They deserve real appreciation. And our course builder Uliano Vezzani did a great job. I did not expect to have 17 clears in the first round, but he was right with the jump-off again with his five clears.”