Passion and Power Propel Bruynseels to Glory in Amazing LGCT Grand Prix of Doha

The first Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of 2021 kicked off in dynamic Doha, Qatar, full of passion and power with a highly emotional win for Niels Bruynseels riding Delux van T & L.

A spectacular sound and light show at the prize-giving ceremony in the Longines Arena, AL SHAQAB, part of Qatar Foundation, rounded off three days of the highest calibre show jumping kicking off the supreme test to find the 2021 LGCT Champion. Niels’ victory secured him the first coveted spot in the LGCT Super Grand Prix at the GC Prague Playoffs. Clearly filled with emotion after his triumph Niels said:

I am so so happy that I won today, this championship has the best riders and horses in the world, I can only thank my amazing horse who always gives everything for me.”

Italy’s Lorenzo De Luca took second spot and Canadian star Eric Lamaze joined the podium line up as Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser and His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani attended the ceremony with Qatar staging the prestigious opening leg of the 2021 season.

First round

The course proved difficult as many top combinations were struggling to master the challenges of the substantial 1.60m track with 13 obstacles. It was top sporting entertainment for the fans watching around the world on GCTV.

With 34 combinations fired up for action it was soon clear one of the trickiest lines in the course was the final line to a narrow plank and the several riders opted to retire including Andrzej Oplatek, Pius Schwizer, Titouan Schumacher and Maurice Tebbel.

Evelina Tovek and Gregory Wathelet were among the other talents who ended up out of the running. It was Bart Bles who lit up the arena with the first fantastic fluid clear which was followed by Christian Kukuk on Mumbai setting up a tantalising jump-off.

Rene Lopez and Kheros van’t Hoogeinde left the arena frustrated after superbly navigating the course but picking up just one time fault after he added a stride to the last.

Lorenzo de Luca and the limitless scope of Nuance Bleue VDM Z produced a super clear pitching the Italian into the jump-off. There was disappointment for Olivier Phillippaerts and H&M Legend of Love as the final fence next to the in-gate fell meaning they would be out of the jump-off today.

Eric Lamaze made easy work of the course and cruised into the jump-off line up with Bart Bles, Christian Kukuk, Lorenzo de Luca, Niels Bruynseels, Marcus Ehning and Scott Brash.

Jump-Off

Bart Bles kicked off the jump off on Kriskras DV with a fast clear in 42.16, but at two points in the course, including the oxer, he left a tempting margin for other riders to play with. And they did.

The strong combination of Christian Kukuk and the 9-year-old grey stallion Mumbai executed a tight turn into the GC fence, but the pivot was too deep and the combination paid the price with four faults. Kukuk finished faster than Bart Bles in 40.64 but with penalties.

Lorenzo De Luca’s less experienced horse Nuance Bleue VDM Z seemed upset at the start but found rhythm after the first fence and slotted in a couple of tight turns to make up time delivering an impressive clear in 40.20 and clinching second spot in the LGCT Grand Prix of Doha.

Olympic Champions Eric Lamaze set off at a cracking pace but went wider going into the Longines double and lost ground into the LGCT upright. But the Canadian maestro caught up time and blasted up the order on his new mount Dieu Merci van T&L ultimately finishing in third place on the podium.

Niels Bruynseels and Delux van T & L were smooth in the first part of the course but then had to go flat out to the LGCT upright and make it a gallop to the final fence. His all or nothing sprint was brilliantly performed and it paid off rocketing him into the lead in a 39.93 and securing the first coveted spot in the 2021 LGCT Super Grand Prix at the GC Prague Playoffs.

Ehning was off to a flying start on Stargold but rolled a pole at the GC vertical and then his round took another blow with the German champion finishing on a total of 8 faults but in a frustratingly super fast time of 38.85.

Last night’s winners Scott Brash and Hello Vincent were fast from the start with an intelligent turn around the Qatar Foundation fence and even tighter to the LGCT vertical, but a pole crashed to the ground ending his hopes. Brash had another knock down clipping the front rail of the Longines oxer pushing him up to 8 faults.

Unfortunately Irishman Shane Breen, who rode Z7 Ipswich, didn’t make it into the jump off after picking up 8 faults in the first round.

So it was Niels Bruynseels on Delux van T & L who landed on top of the podium for the night, in the first LGCT Grand Prix of the season!

Results table

RKG	CNR	RIDER	HORSE	EUR	ROUND A	JUMP-OFF	TIME
1	631	NIELS BRUYNSEELS	DELUX VAN T & L	€123,750.00	0.00	0.00	39.93
2	653	LORENZO DE LUCA	NUANCE BLEUE VDM Z	€75,000.00	0.00	0.00	40.20
3	687	ERIC LAMAZE	DIEU MERCI VAN T & L	€56,250.00	0.00	0.00	40.35
4	696	BART BLES	KRISKRAS DV	€37,500.00	0.00	0.00	42.16
5	618	CHRISTIAN KUKUK	MUMBAI	€22,500.00	0.00	4.00	40.64
6	620	SCOTT BRASH	HELLO VINCENT	€16,875.00	0.00	8.00	37.36
7	681	MARCUS EHNING	STARGOLD	€11,250.00	0.00	8.00	38.85
8	645	RENE LOPEZ	KHEROS VAN’T HOOGEINDE	€9,375.00	1.00		80.97
9	607	EMANUELE GAUDIANO	CHALOU	€7,500.00	4.00		73.94
10	627	PEDER FREDRICSON	H&M CHRISTIAN K	€7,500.00	4.00		75.11
11	623	MAX KÜHNER	ELEKTRIC BLUE P	€3,750.00	4.00		75.49
12	663	OLIVIER PHILIPPAERTS	H&M LEGEND OF LOVE	€3,750.00	4.00		75.69
13	649	PHILIPP WEISHAUPT	ASATHIR		4.00		76.89
14	690	EDUARDO ALVAREZ AZNAR	ROKFELLER DE PLEVILLE BOIS MARGOT		4.00		77.77
15	613	CONSTANT VAN PAESSCHEN	ISIDOOR VAN DE HELLE		4.00		78.35
16	694	HENRIK VON ECKERMANN	KING EDWARD		7.00		91.29
17	672	OLIVIER ROBERT	VIVALDI DES MENEAUX		8.00		72.29
18	644	JULIEN EPAILLARD	QUEELETTA		8.00		73.94
19	647	GREGORY WATHELET	NEVADOS S		8.00		75.43
20	651	SHANE BREEN	Z7 IPSWICH		8.00		75.48
21	683	EDWINA TOPS-ALEXANDER	IDENTITY VITSEROEL		8.00		78.33
22	602	JEANNE SADRAN	VANNAN		8.00		78.54
23	622	AGUSTIN COVARRUBIAS	TEAVANTA II C Z		8.00		79.54
24	661	EVELINA TOVEK	DALILA DE LA POMME		12.00		76.00
25	655	SUUS KUYTEN	ALFA JORDAN		21.00		82.35
26	630	PENELOPE LEPREVOST	VANCOUVER DE LANLORE		RET		0.00
26	680	JOS VERLOOY	VAROUNE		RET		0.00
26	610	ANNA KELLNEROVÁ	CATCH ME IF YOU CAN OLD		RET		0.00
26	666	MAURICE TEBBEL	DON DIARADO		RET		0.00
26	615	TITOUAN SCHUMACHER	ATOME Z		RET		0.00
26	660	PIUS SCHWIZER	VIENT TU DU ROUET		RET		0.00
26	640	ANDRZEJ OPLATEK	STAKKATAN		RET		0.00
26	605	MARK MCAULEY	JASCO VD BISSCHOP		RET		0.00
26	633	CHRISTIAN AHLMANN	DOMINATOR 2000 Z		RET		0.00