Edwina Tops-Alexander Wins Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Madrid In Nail-Biting Finish
In what was the perfect ending to an exhilarating three days of competition at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, Edwina Tops-Alexander and Fellow Castlefield were crowned winners of the 10th edition of the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) Grand Prix of Madrid.
They claimed top spot on the podium with pride as the Australian National Anthem echoed through the stadium, having been the sole pair to finish the first round with zero faults. As a result, they secured the majority of the €500,000 prize pool.
Sunday’s victory will go down in history as one of the most epic LGCT Grand Prix as Tops-Alexander emerged victorious after an intense and nail-biting competition bringing home her 27th LGCT podium. Collecting his first-ever LGCT podium, Denmark’s Andreas Schou and Darc de Lux finished in second place just 0.03s over the time allowed. Also with an agonising time fault in round 1, Jur Vierling and Long John Silver 3 N.O.P. rounded off the podium.
Edwina also collected her golden ticket to the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix. The talented combination will jump in Prague later this year aiming to repeat history when she won the first ever LGCT Super Grand Prix back in 2018.
Speaking to GCTV after her phenomenal win and emotional Tops-Alexander smiled: “
I have to say, the atmosphere here in Madrid is just amazing. It’s electric, it’s so exciting, and the crowd is just incredible. I would like to thank Fellow’s owner Athina Onassis. His last Grand Prix was at Valkenswaard in August last year, he then had a little setback and I needed to give him a little bit of time to build up his fitness.
He’s not a particularly fast horse so I was quite worried. He spooked to number one, I had to do one more from [jumps] 1 to 2 and then I was very worried about my time. I had to really really stay focused, and on top of it and try to jump clear and be slick.”
Talking about chasing the Championship she explained:
The season is going really fast but we take it show by show, now we have a plan and we will try to stick to the plan, stay positive and try to get it done. So let’s hope it goes in the right direction.”
With Malin Baryard Johnsson not present in Madrid, Maikel van der Vleuten has taken over as Championship leader with 109 points. Malin drops to second place staying on 99 points and David Will doesn’t move in third place on 79 points.
Beaming following his first ever Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix podium finish, Andreas Schou spoke of his horse in Darc de Lux:
I’m super proud of my horse today, it is the first outdoor show this year, so I wasn’t sure how he would take it and he comes out here and proves himself once again.”
Over the last decade the Longines Global Champions Tour of Madrid has grown to become one of the most popular sporting events in the world, attracting thousands of spectators to each event and this year there was a bigger turnout than ever in Madrid.
Sunday was an unforgettable experience for all those who attended. In addition to the thrilling show jumping competitions, there will be a range of activities and entertainment for the whole family. From delicious food and drinks to live music and performances, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
The Championship race now looks to Ramatuelle, Saint-Tropez 1-3 June, where the tour continues with leg five of the spectacular global circuit. Catch up on all the interviews, insights and replays on GCTV!
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.