The traditional CSIO5* event in St. Gallen concluded on Sunday with the prestigious 200,000 Euro Longines Grand Prix of Switzerland, where the Irish dominated taking home both first and second place courtesy of Bertram Allen and Richard Howley.
Out of the 50 pairs starting, it was only 25 percent that would proceed to the second round. Course designer Gerard Lachat (SUI), who has done a great job throughout the weekend, provided another fair setting with his 1.60m track that consisted of 13 obstacles and 16 efforts and a time allowed of 72 seconds.
Romain Duguet (SUI) and the 10-year-old mare Twentytwo des Bisches (Mylord Carthago x Kalor du Bocage) were the fastest four-faulters from the first round, and made it to the second as pair number 13. The Swiss showed great form on home turf, with Steve Guerdat (SUI) on the 10-year-old mare Hannah (Dulf van den Bisschop x Kashmir van Schuttershof), Janika Sprunger (SUI) on the 12-year-old Aris CMS (BMC Nassau x Amethist), Niklaus Rutschi (SUI) on the 9-year-old gelding Cardano CH (Chameur x Apartigene V. Schlösslihof) and Christina Liebherr (SUI) on the 13-year-old stallion LB Eagle Eye (Darco x Dobel's Cento) joining the second round as well – where Guerdat and Liebherr were clear again finishing 5th and 6th respectively.
Catherine Van Roosbroeck (BEL) on the 11-year-old stallion Gautcho Da Quinta (Cicero Z x Upsilon vd Heffinck) and Marco Kutscher (GER) on the 11-year-old gelding Clenur (Carinue x Fernando) also went into the second round on a clean sheet, where Van Roosbroeck repeated herself to eventually end 4th – also taking the Leading Lady Award of the show.
Number four to go in the second round, it was Richard Howley (IRL) on the 10-year-old gelding Chinook (Tygo x Wellington) that took an early lead with a fast and clear performance in a time of 45,64 seconds.
Cédric Angot (FRA) on the 11-year-old gelding Saxo de la Cour (Tlaloc M x Jalisco B), Lorenzo de Luca (ITA) on the 15-year-old Armitages Boy (Armitage x Feo) and Paolo Paini (ITA) on the 11-year-old mare Ottava Meraviglia di Ca'San G (For Pleasure x Caletto I), all gave in their best effort but could not threaten the leader.
Paul Estermann (SUI) however, on the 11-year-old gelding Lord Pepsi (Böckmann's Lord Pezi x Santander H), was the last Swiss rider to go and giving it his best try he got close to the Irish, but not close enough – slotting into second with a time of 46,15 seconds.
Bertram Allen (IRL) on the 10-year-old stallion Hector van d'Adbijhoeve (Cabrio van de Heffinck x Utrillo van de Heffinck) was the last rider in the ring. Allen and the impressive Hector raced to the finish, mastering the difficult turn to the penultimate fence and galloping over the finish line with the winning time of 44,75 seconds, pushing Howley down to second and Estermann to third.
"I think these maybe are the best rounds my horse has ever jumped," the delighted winner Allen said after the class. "He has jumped brilliant all weekend. The show here in St. Gallen is very nice, I've been coming here often," the young Irish, who has been enormously successful lately, said. "I rank this win very high among all my achievements."
Text © World of Showjumping // Picture © Longines CSIO St. Gallen