Edwina tops the Longines Global Champions Tour in Miami

Edwina Tops-Alexander has won the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) Grand Prix in Miami Beach.

Awesome Australian

The second leg of the most glamorous series in showjumping saw five riders from five nations make it through to the jump-off.

Qatar’s Bassem Mohammed achieved the first double clear with Gunder. It was a tactically ridden round that put him in first place, with only Edwina and California left to jump.

The awesome Australian took full advantage of riding last and shaved more than three seconds off Bassem’s time, to win the class and take the lion’s share of the €300,000 prize fund.

Ireland’s Darragh Kenny was third with the fastest four faults, after Cassini Z knocked the front rail of the final spread.

Brash leads the way

“I watched some of Bassem’s round on the screen and I knew he could have gone faster,” said Edwina, who took over the ride on California from Egypt’s Abdel Said in 2016. “Still, I didn’t think I’d won or that I was going that fast and I kept having to look at the screen to check.”

Edwina has been on great form since returning to competition after the birth of her daughter. She recently won the pairs competition with Bertram Allen at Saut Hermes in Paris and is now aiming for her third LGCT title.

Scott Brash is the current leader in the LGCT ranking, following his win in Mexico. He came 10th in Miami after Ursula had an unlucky pole over the last fence in the first round.

‘Delighted’

“Ursula jumped amazingly,” said Scott. “Just that last fence was one fence too many today. If I was to ride it again, I’d maybe have held her off the front bar a bit more, but I was delighted with her.”

Scott has also won the LGCT Championship title twice before and, like Edwina, is hoping to make history by taking the title a third time.

“I know the two of us are going to be at it again to win,” said Edwina, who has secured her place in the Longines Global Champions Super Grand Prix at the new GC Prague Play Offs in December.