It’s never over until Ahlmann takes to the arena, as he proved once again in the final class of Longines Global Champions Tour of Rome. Christian Ahlmann and the stunning stallion Solid Gold Z blasted away the competition in a sizzling final CSI5* 1.50m class of the Longines Global Champions Tour of Rome.
With a thrilling finish to an incredible three days of show jumping in the iconic venue of the Circus Maximus in the heart of Italy’s capital, Rome, spectators were treated to a masterclass of a jump-off from current Longines Global Champions Tour Championship leader, Christian Ahlmann.
With 2022 clearly being his year, German rider Ahlmann was one of only six clear rounds in the final 5* showdown in one of the most iconic locations on the tour. Taking the win by 0.91 seconds from crowd favourite Malin Baryard-Johnsson of Sweden with Harley Davidson who beat flying Frenchman, Kevin Staut aboard Emir de Moens Harcour by only 0.19s.
As the sun lengthened across the picturesque set-up, fans packed the grandstands to witness the final class of LGCT Rome.
Speaking on today’s epic performance Ahlmann smiled: “He is an unbelievable horse, an unbelievable fighter and I’m so pleased everyone can see how special he is. I lost my stirrup so I had to do one or two extra strides than I planned.”
Giving GCTV an insight into the Championship race he added: “For sure I will be in Riyadh, we have our home show the same weekend as New York which is a bit sad. I am still in a good position but it is very very close so I have to do everything I can do and have some luck in the last stage so I am working on that.”
With free entry for passers-by, stands were full of intrigued locals and travelling fans alike, keen to catch the last glimpse of the best horse and riders in the world take to the arena for one last dance.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.