DOHA (Qatar): Valkenswaard United on Thursday took pole position in the Global Champions League (GCL) showdown as their combined pinpoint accuracy and speed put them on top in the first round of Doha leg at the Longines Arena, Al Shaqab.
Five teams finished on a zero score after a nail-biting first round, with some foot-perfect rounds from Berlin Eagles and New York Empire.
This season’s teams are packed with strength and depth after a busy off-season making tactical changes. The horsepower is the best of the best here and everyone was keen to kick-off 2021 with a bang .
The dynamic duo of Peder Fredricson and Marcus Ehning were just under a second faster than Berlin Eagles in second place while New York Empire soared into third.
From the leading team going into Round 2 on Saturday Marcus Ehning explained: “On Saturday we need two double clears but we also need to be fast. Saturday is a new day but we will try out best.”
Peder Fredricson smiled and said: “It feels great to go into Saturday on a clean sheet, I am very happy with today – both of our horses jumped good and Hansson is feeling great back at this bigger level.”
It was clear from the start that the influential first leg was being tackled with strong determination from all the teams. The high calibre combinations proved there was no room for error as every fence was crucial in a sign of an incredibly exciting team championship race.
With five of the teams jumping double clears around Uliano Vezzani’s 1.50/1.55m track, team riders, owners and managers tried out tactics in today’s opening round to see how best to play Saturday’s showdown.
