Martin Fuchs clinches double GCT victory in Cascais

Martin Fuchs kept cool under pressure as he clinched the Cascais leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) for the world’s top show jumpers.

The Swiss rider and his horse, Chaplin, won an 11-rider jump-off in a clear round of 37.64 seconds in the vast, grassy arena of the Hipódromo Manuel Possolo in Cascais, near Estoril in Portugal.

Britain’s Ben Maher and Explosion W, the defending overall LGCT champions, finished in second place, while Ireland’s Michael Duffy and Mullaghdrin Touch the Stars were third.

“I do love turf,” Fuchs told LGCT television. “My horse, Chaplin, is great in the big rings, and he was amazing today again.”

READ: Global Champions Tour 2019 schedule and results

Birthday

It was Fuchs’ second victory of the season following his win in Madrid. He was watched by his family and his mother, who had been celebrating her birthday.

“They made a vacation here, and I hope they are happy to see my win,” said Fuchs.

Just like on the grass in Madrid last month, Fuchs earned a double victory in the coastal resort of Cascais. Earlier in the day, the Swiss rider teamed up with Maher to win the Global Champions League team event.

READ: Jessica Springsteen on the secrets of her success

Jump-off

Having taken the lead with a clear round in 39.56 seconds as the second rider to go in the jump-off, Irish rider Darragh Kenny and Important de Muze watched five combinations fail to match his achievement.

Riding in eighth spot, Maher found another gear aboard Explosion W as they shaved almost 1.5 seconds off Kenny’s time in a lightning quick round.

Could Maher, who dominated the LGCT last year with four victories, finally score his first win of 2019?

Although Ireland’s Michael Duffy was faster than Maher at the halfway point, his horse lost momentum in the second part, and they eventually finished in third place at half a second behind the Briton.

The 10th rider, Marcus Ehning of Germany, set the fastest time with 36.21 seconds, but his horse dropped a pole.

Riding last, Fuchs went for broke, and he kissed his riding hat as he beat his team mate Maher by 0.45 seconds.

“I saw Ben go, so I knew a bit what I had to do,” said Fuchs. “I turned very short for the double, and then to the last fence, I could just keep cantering. I think Chaplin is just a very quick horse, and so is Explosion, but today, the luck was on my side.”

With Fuchs already guaranteed a spot, Maher became the ninth rider to qualify for the season-ending GC Prague Playoffs November 21-24, which will see all individual LGCT winners battle it out in the season finale.

Although he finished in ninth place in Cascais, Belgian Pieter Devos climbed to the top of the overall rankings with 206 points after nine of 19 LGCT legs. Germany’s Daniel Deusser, the previous leader, dropped to second as he wasn’t competing in Portugal. Maher, a six-time LGCT winner, moved up into third, with 187 points.

READ: Danielle Goldstein on the secrets of her success

Prague: The season champions walk into the O2 arena ahead of the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix at the GC Prague Playoffs.

To cap a stellar season, Briton Ben Maher (center) adds the Super Grand Prix crown to his second straight Longines Global Champions Tour title.

Maher and his impressive mount Explosion W in action in Prague.

Martin Fuchs flies high on Clooney 51.

Shanghai Swans won the Global Champions League Super Cup, the season finale for the team event.

New York —

New York: The iconic skyline of dominated the final round of the regular season which took place on Governors Island off Lower Manhattan.

Belgian Pieter Devos held a narrow lead over defending overall champion Ben Maher.

But Britain's Maher took the Grand Prix title to secure back-to-back Longines Global Champions Tour crowns.

Maher's trusty steed was the impressive Explosion W.

Saint-Tropez —

Saint-Tropez: Jessica Springsteen rode RMF Zecilie to her very first individual victory on the Global Champions Tour.

Springsteen, daughter of famed rocker Bruce, was a popular winner at the glamorous beach side venue on the French Riviera.

Rome —

Rome: Italy's famed Carosello IV Reggimento Carabinieri a Cavallo put on a display for the Global Champions Tour spectators in Rome.

Britain's Ben Maher, the defending overall champion, clinched the Rome Grand Prix to climb to the top of the season standings.

Valkenswaard —

Valkenswaard: Maikel van der Vleuten and Dana Blue on the way to victory in Valkenswaard.

The Tops International Arena, in the Netherlands, is a wonderful venue to host the Valkenswaard leg of the tour.

London —

London: Winless all season, defending overall LGCT champion Ben Maher hits back with a bang on Explosion W on home soil.

Shane Sweetnam goes airborne on Alejandro at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Berlin —

Berlin: Dani G. Waldman and Lizziemary triumphed in Berlin.

Germany's Ludger Beerbaum and Cool Feeling missed out by just 0.35 seconds.

Chantilly —

Chantilly: Darragh Kenny rode to victory on Balou du Reventon in front of the spectacular Chateau de Chantilly north of Paris.

Ben Maher and Explosion W in action at Chantilly.

Paris —

Paris: The Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars provided a stunning setting for round 11 of the Longines Global Champions Tour.

New dad Christian Ahlmann jumped to his fifth victory on the global circuit.

Monaco —

Monaco: The glitzy riviera resort of Monaco held the 10th and halfway stop of the Longines Global Champions Tour and Global Champions League.

Dutchman Maikel van der Vleuten riding Beauville Z dazzled under the floodlights in the principality.

Dutchman Maikel van der Vleuten won the Monaco leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour riding Beauville Z.

Cascais, Portgual —

Cascais: Switzerland's Martin Fuchs clinched double victory by winning both the Longines Global Champions Tour event and partnering Ben Maher to triumph in the Global Champions League for London Knights on the Portuguese coast.

Britain's Maher, the defending LGCT overall champion, rode his Explosion W to second in the individual Grand Prix in Cascais.

Stockholm, Sweden —

Stockholm: Peder Fredricson celebrates after winning the inaugural LGCT in the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm.

The Swedish capital welcomed the Global Champions Tour for the first time in June 2019.

Cannes, France —

Cannes: The "City of Stars" on the French Riviera hosted round seven of the Longines Global Champions Tour and Global Champions League.

Belgium's Niels Bruynseels riding Gancia de Muze edged British Olympic gold medalist Scott Brash to win his first LGCT Grand Prix event.

Hamburg, Germany —

Hamburg: Home favorite Daniel Deusser rode Jasmien v. Bisschop to victory in the Hamburg leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour.

Spectators enjoyed lavish hospitality in the German city as the world's best show jumpers competed just yards from their seats.

Madrid, Spain —

Madrid: Fuchs rode Chaplin to victory in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix, as well as partnering Maher to win the Global Champions League title for the London Knights.

Madrid —

Madrid: Van der Vleuten on Dana Blue finished a narrow second behind Fuchs in the Spanish capital.

Shanghai, China —

Shanghai: Danielle Goldstein rode Lizziemary to the Longines Global Champions Tour title in Shanghai in early May.

Israel's Goldstein beat Irishman Darragh Kenny on Balou du Reventon by just 0.08 seconds in the jump-off.

Miami Beach, USA —

Miami Beach: The spectacular waterside setting provided a picture-perfect backdrop for the Miami Beach event. Pictured: Georgina Bloomberg riding Chameur 137.

Belgium's Pieter Devos and his 11-year-old Claire Z triumphed in an eight-rider jump-off for his first GCT win since 2014.

Devos beat Harrie Smolders and Don VHP Z by 0.04 seconds in a nail-biting finish.

Mexico City, Mexico —

Mexico City: Jerome Guery and Quel Homme de Hus celebrated their first LGCT victory in Mexico.

Guery's stallion was given to him by his best friend two months before the event but they gelled to win a 12-horse jump-off.

The Campo Marte venue, at more than 2,000 feet above sea level, hosted the equestrian events at the 1968 Olympic Games.

Doha, Qatar —

Doha: France's Julien Epaillard and Usual Suspect d'Auge raced to victory in the jump-off in the season opener in Doha.

The event was held at the state-of-the-art Al Shaqab Equestrian Facility in Doha.

Britain's Maher came into the 2019 season as overall LGCT defending champion.

Longines Global Champions Tour 2019 season in photos

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Global Champions League

The London Knights soared to the top of the overall leaderboard of the Global Champions League team event with their third win of the season.

After victories in Madrid last month and Stockholm last week, Maher and Fuchs brought home the third trophy of the season for the Knights with two error-free rounds each over two days.

Valkenswaard United, with Ehning and Ireland’s Bertram Allen, finished second, with four penalties. Belgian Gregory Wathelet and Ireland’s Kenny of the Paris Panthers finished third, also with four penalties, but almost 12 seconds slower than United.

“We have had a great season, we had a few weeks where it didn’t go the way we wanted, but we’ve got momentum now,” said Maher, who also rode his trusted gelding Explosion W in the team event. “We tried hard…between last week and this week, hopefully, this is the change in our season.”

The Knights now lead the overall standings with 172 points, two points clear of previous leaders Shanghai Swans and 10 points ahead of Madrid in Motion.

The first to go of the four teams on clear after the first round, Maher and Fuchs decided to go for it on the closing day of the competition.

“We both have very good and quick horses,” said Fuchs, who competed with Chica B Z in the first round and Chaplin in the second round. “So we were saying, we put the pressure on the other ones, we want to be fast and clear, and it turned out that way.”

A tactical change beforehand had made all the difference.

“I changed the order of the way we went today,” said Maher, who was more than two seconds slower than his team mate in the second round. “I thought Explosion, initially, he was overjumping a little bit, so I knew I would perhaps be a little bit slower than Martin today. I took the inside turns, I didn’t take too much of a risk. That was a bit the game plan when Martin went second today, we put enough pressure on the other guys to force some mistakes.”

When asked about the team lineup for Monaco, the next stop on the Global Champions Tour on 29 June, Maher said: “We will have a little bit of a change up for riders and horses next week,” before adding: “You will have to wait for next week.”