LONDON: World number one equestrian Henrik von Eckermann rode “King Edward” to victory at the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Rome over the weekend to push himself into title contention ahead of next month’s Riyadh Finals event.
With the win, the Swede is in a race with Dutchmen Harrie Smolders and Maikel van der Vleuten for the 2023 title with just the finals round in Saudi Arabia and the playoffs round in Czechia remaining.
In Rome, David Will riding “My Prins” finished second, while Peder Fredricson on “Catch Me Not S” and Andreas Schou on “I Know” finished joint third, clocking the exact same time in the jump-off, highlighting the fierce competition in the 14th stage of the season.
With Smolders (on 252 points) and van der Vleuten (on 238 points) not scoring in Rome, the championship race will come down to the finest margins; von Eckermann pushed himself into a solid third place on 235.5 points and in with a shout of the title.
Coming back with a bang after a less-than-ideal performance in London, von Eckermann said he and his horse were back with a vengeance.
“I had two shows that were not that great with ‘King Edward,’ I lost a little bit of the feeling and there were a couple of things, like I changed to a hackamore, and the feeling that something is not really like it should be ... I was almost getting a bit crazy because you know how it should be but you don’t really ‘get’ it,” he said.
“And now it was back how it should feel, of course winning is amazing, but that feeling when you feel that you are back and the horse is with you to 100 percent, the team you have … that is everything, just everything,” he added.
Will said getting a podium place in a city like Rome was “special,” adding: “Every venue we come to is different, and this one with the history and such a nice atmosphere just wants you to come out and make a top result.”
As the curtain falls on the Rome Grand Prix, riders and spectators from around the world are looking ahead to the next round in Riyadh from Oct. 26 to 28.
