THE Global Champions Super Cup Final was held at the 2023 Global Champions Play-offs in Prague over the weekend, with a number of Irish connections involved: Richard Howley, HK Horses; Mark McAuley; Shane Breen, The Breen Team; Michael Duffy; Eoin McMahon; Bertram Allen; Denis Lynch; and Jeremy Sweetnam.
The Irish contingent made a strong start last Thursday, with Tipperary’s Denis Lynch steering the 11-year-old stallion Cornets Iberio into third place in the five-star 1.45m speed class. Richard Howley and Zodiak du Buisson Z finished a fraction behind in fourth. The class win went to Portugal’s Rodrigo Giesteira Almeida and Pegasus Cekanane.
Thursday also saw the quarter final of the Global Champions Super Cup being held, with Jeremy Sweetnam riding Bogano for the Monaco Aces team, who came third to secure themselves a place in the semi-final.
The winning Shanghai Swans team had an Irish connection in the form of Irish-bred gelding Up Too Jacco Blue (ISH), bred by Mark Sherry in Co Wicklow, ridden by Max Kühner (AUT).
Denis Lynch and Cornets Iberio gave another impressive performance on Friday, with a second place in the 1.50m class, where Eoin McMahon and Christians Carado placed sixth.
The top eight teams went forward to Friday night’s semi-final and included Irish riders Richard Howley, Mark McAuley and Eoin McMahon. This round saw the win going to Madrid in Motion, with Mark McAuley on GRS Lady Amaro and team-mates Jack Whitaker(Equine America Q Paravatti N) and Maikel Van Der Vleuten (Beauville Z NOP) doing best of the teams.
Saturday’s 1.50m individual class saw Eoin McMahon and Christians Carado taking eighth place, but McMahon was only getting warmed up for the final of the Global Champions League Super Cup!
Saturday also saw the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix being held, with the top spot going to France’s Julien Epaillard on Dubai du Cedre; but Ireland weren’t far away, with Bertram Allen and Pacino Amiro placing fourth.
Finale
The main event, the Global Champions League Super Cup Final was held on Sunday. Co Clare’s McMahon rode for the Reisenbeck International team, along with team-mates Christian Kukuk riding Checker 47 and Philipp Weishaupt on Zineday.
McMahon and his mount, 11-year-old mare Mila, owned by Ludger Beerbaum, jumped an outstanding double clear, as did Weishaupt.
Unfortunately, Kukuk had faults in each round, putting the team on a total of eight faults, the same as Valkensward United, but McMahon’s team time was faster, which secured them the coveted top place on the podium and the first prize of 2.5 million Euro.
This was a fabulous end to the season for Reisenbeck International to do the Global Champions League double!