Katrin Eckermann and Cala Mandia, photo: Silvia Reiner, archive

Katrin Eckermann also wins this year

„I can’t even realize it yet.“ said Katrin Eckermann in the winner’s interview. She is just very happy and the joy is great. The pressure was even greater this year. Now she can hardly believe that she managed to win the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Miami Beach again this year.

Katrin Eckermann and Cala Mandia, photo: Silvia Reiner, archive

Halfway through the starting field, Khaled Almobty (KSA), Abdel Said (BEL), David Will (GER) and Eduardo Alvarez Aznar had qualified for the play-off for victory. Katrin Eckermann and Cala Mandia, who won the Grand Prix last year (reitsportportal reported), showed the audience on the beach in Miami the fifth clear round. There were also Margie Goldstein-Engle (USA) and Maikel van der Vleuten from the Netherlands.

Khaled Almobty (KSA), who was the first rider to qualify for the jump-off with Equine America Spacecake, was doing very well right up to the last jump. But then a pole fell… The same happened to David Will with My Prins van Dorperheide. Abdel Said (BEL) also finished with a knockdown. Eduardo Alvarez Aznar and Bentley de Sury then managed the first clear round. Immediately afterwards, Katrin Eckermann rode into the course with her Cala Mandia. And then something happened that she probably didn’t think was possible. After a furious ride, she was almost a second faster than the Spanish rider with a time of 40.26 seconds. Now only Maikel van der Vleuten with Beauville Z N.O.P. prevent the renewed triumph of the German rider. Of course he tried that too, but he couldn’t. With a time of 41.35 seconds, he finished third in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Miami Beach.

Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Miami Beach – Result

LONGINES GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR 2023 Overall ranking after leg 2 of 15 in Miami Beach

Photos: Silvia Reiner, archive