Competing in the CSI5* powered by Pink & Orange (Int. jumping competition against the clock 1.45m) on Thursday, Tom McDermott partnered with Shqely (Guidam Sohn x Chambertin) to produce the fastest clear round of the class. The duo stopped the clock at 67.65 seconds, well ahead of the Netherlands’ Sanne Thijssen and Jopie Amazing JR who finished second on 69.24 seconds.
“It’s the most unbelievable location here in Vienna, it’s my first Longines Global Champions Tour, and actually my first ever CSI5* win, so it is a complete dream come true. This is the end of my euro tour, I’ll head back to Australia after this show and I couldn’t think of anywhere better to have it,” said Tom following the win. Remarkably, it was also Tom’s first show with the 12-year-old Slovakian Warmblood mare, making the result all the more impressive.
Tom and Shqely also placed 12th in Saturday’s CSI5* powered by Haare Statt Glatze (Int. jumping competition in two phases 1.45m), jumping clear in both phases, while the Aussie also secured 20th place in the CSI5* Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Vienna (CSI5* Int. jumping competition with jump-off 1.60m) on Sunday with his FEI World Championship partner, Oaks Ventriloquist (Vivant x Rex Z). The combination had a single rail down in the headline class and a couple of time faults, with the class going to Sophie Hinners and Iron Dames Combella.
Fellow Australian Edwina Tops-Alexander placed 12th in the Grand Prix as the quickest of those with four faults aboard Caetlin vd Heffinck Z (Chacco-Blue x Cabrio vd Heffinck). The duo also jumped round one of the Global Champions League team competition as part of Valkenswaard United, finishing with just the one rail down. Edwina later jumped round two with Cydello, finishing with two rails down.
Valkenswaard United placed eighth overall, while the Scandinavian Vikings won the GCL with top rounds from Jur Vreiling (Grand Slam VDL and VDL Mattias), and Lara Tryba (Shot Gun).
Edwina was also sixth on Saturday in the CSI5* powered by Kronen Zeitung (Int. jumping competition with jump-off 1.50m) with Cydello (Cascadello x Forsyth FRH), jumping a double clear.
Another Australian, Georgina Harvey Lazarus, was also riding at the event – contesting the CSI2* classes with Finlandina and Delta Blue Go.
Full results from Longines Global Champions Tour of Vienna can be found here.
