DREAMS of winning the richest final in show jumping came true for Swedish veteran Rolf-Goran Bengtsson and his 17-year-old superstar stallion Casall ASK when they won both the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Doha and the prestigious 2016 LGCT Champion of Champions title in Qatar last weekend.

Describing the title win as “a dream come true”, Rolf heralded Casall as “just amazing”, with their 11-year partnership one of the most respected in the world. First prize in the Grand Prix was €148,500.

Second was Germany’s Daniel Deusser on First Class van Eeckelghem, netting €90,000, while Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Fibonacci were third, earning €67,500.

American Laura Kraut and Zeremonie were fourth in the Grand Prix, while fifth place went to France’s Simon Delestre and Chadino.

Rolf’s victory saw him take the lion’s share of the €1 million bonus prize money as he takes his place on the list of LGCT Champions. It was the culmination of a fantastically consistent season for Rolf and Casall, with the pair taking wins in Valkenswaard and Paris, as well as podium finishes at other stops on the circuit.

Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander narrowly missed out on making history by becoming the first rider to win a hat-trick of titles, after a shock exit in the first round with fiery mare Lintea Tequila saw their championship hopes dashed but they took silver. World Number 1 and former long-time leader of the LGCT Ranking, Germany’s Christian Ahlmann was able to keep hold of his third place in the rankings after a strong performance from top stallion Taloubet Z, despite the threat from fellow Olympic athletes below.

The magnificent Al Shaqab equestrian centre was the perfect backdrop and course designer Uliano Vezzani set a challenging first round, throwing questions to the 41 starters to open the LGCT Grand Prix of Doha.

Wexford’s Bertram Allen and Hector van d’Abdijhoeve finished with four faults, just outside the top 18 who qualify for the second round in 19th place overall. Meath’s Cian O’Connor and Good Luck finished with eight faults in 26th place, while Denis Lynch and Campino come home with nine faults in 30th place.

Also at Doha, Wexford’s Bertram Allen (21) and John Whitaker (60) won the first ever Global Champions League title to secure most of the huge €4.5m bonus on offer.

Throughout the 15-leg series, the Valkenswaard United team of Whitaker, Allen, teenager Emily Moffitt, and Eduardo Menezes remained consistently at the top of the overall rankings, racking up four wins over the course of the championship, which offered up an incredible €7.5 million in prize money. The blue, white and orange team secured the lion’s share of the €4.5 million bonus in a dramatic night under floodlights at Al Shaqab.

A dramatic first round of the final left only two teams in contention for the overall title after a shock exit by one of the favourites. Monaco Aces dropped out of the title race after Daniel Bluman and Apardi clocked up 12 faults despite team mate Leopold van Asten’s clear round on VDL Groep Miss Untouchable, with the team strong contenders going into the final. In a thrilling competition, Whitaker and Allen of Valkenswaard United picked up four faults apiece leaving the team just scraping into the second round in eighth place, while closest rivals Antwerp Diamonds carried through four faults from Harrie Smolders as teammate Jos Verlooy jumped clear.

The first round result meant the Championship remained on a knife-edge right until the last moment, as Antwerp Diamonds and Valkenswaard United faced each other in round two. Despite some heart-stopping moments, Valkenswaard United claimed championship victory with Allen and Whitaker contributing to three of the team’s four wins this year.

The Doha leg of the GCL was won by Paris Jets with Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Nicola Philippaerts, jumping double clear a full seven seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

Co-founder of the Global Champions League, Jan Tops said: “John and Bertram had a great season. Emily Moffitt (Under-25 rider) is in her late teens sp young riders have a chance to experience this and it is young people that will drive the sport forward.”

Whitaker said: “I was really disappointed with my fence down and that put pressure on Bertram to get a fast clear to keep us up there. We only just made the second round. I jumped clear and I thought: ‘we are in with a shot’ again. I’m very relieved to win, we have had a great season. Bertram had the speed when we needed it. That’s what it is all about.”

Allen added: “It’s been brilliant, it’s been a long season. We were battling out the whole year, it’s been a fantastic [season].

“If you’re not consistent and fully revved up and concentrate, you have a bad result and that will compromise the end of the season.”