Curtain drops on LGCT in city but equestrian culture continues
Print Edition
The curtain dropped on the 2024 Shanghai Longines Global Champions Tour yesterday, with Gilles Thomas from Belgium winning the most anticipated 1.60-meter show jumping final at the Shanghai Juss International Equestrian Center.
Seven out of 32 riders managed a clear round to advance to the playoff of the 1.60m LGCT Grand Prix. Thomas was the first to start the playoff round, putting on an aggressive enough performance along with his 13-year-old ride Luna van het Dennehof. They completed the route with no faults, clocking 42.56 seconds.
He was followed by Edwina Tops-Alexander and Michael Duffy of Ireland.
Australia’s Tops-Alexander was the only other rider who managed a clear round in the playoff. She went for steadiness knowing that a faultless performance would guarantee her a podium position. She recorded 47.39 seconds.
Duffy had advantage on the clock, completing the route in 42.32 seconds, but had to make do with a third-place finish due to a four-point penalty.
“I didn’t expect this as I was the first (to start the playoff),” said Thomas. “But I have a quick horse, and today only two managed a clear round, which benefited me. This is my lucky day.”
It was also the Belgian’s maiden LGCT Grand Prix title, which he grabbed on his first visit to Shanghai.
“This is a very good stadium with great ground condition. I will come back next year and race even better,” he promised.
Four Chinese riders took part in this year’s Global Champions Tour — Juss Sports-contracted rider Pang Qinyu, and three wildcard entrants Zheng Wenjie, Zhang Xingjia and Wang Wenjing.
It was the first time Pang took part in a CSI (Concours de Saut International) five-star competition, finishing 21st in the 1.45m on Friday.
Like most young equestrian riders, Pang has been learning and training in Europe, having picked up the sport at the relatively late age of 15.
“As a Chinese, I’m very proud to see such a beautiful professional venue in China,” said the 24-year-old. “Also, I’m very lucky that I already found my horses. Both my horses and I are young, and I hope that from Shanghai, we can start accumulating more experience in high-level competitions.”
Pang said his goal is to become the best Asian rider by 2028 and represent China to compete in the 2028 Olympic Games.
The participation of Chinese riders has helped the GCT and equestrian sport to attract more attention from the public.
Asked if he wants to become a national sports icon like Zhou Guanyu in Formula One or Liu Xiang in track and field, both from Shanghai, Pang said he’d rather be a “better horse person.”
“Equestrian is more than a sport,” he noted. “Every time I get along with a different horse, I learn something new. Competitions have also taught me to treat success and failure more maturely.”
For Cheng Keqiang, director of the Shanghai Equestrian Sports Management Center, equestrian is an elegant education about love.
“Young riders learn skills on the back of a horse, and when they get off the horse, they learn about how to get along with animals and care for them,” he said.
According to Cheng, Shanghai’s equestrianism began to rise about 30 years ago, and is currently at a stage where competitive and social equestrianism are developing together. “We have been promoting equestrian in schools, which has helped a lot of private equestrian clubs to survive,” he pointed out.
For China, where equestrian started late, more competitions are the best way to promote and popularize the sport and its culture. As the country’s first permanent professional equestrian venue, the Shanghai Juss International Equestrian Center in Pudong has made it possible for Shanghai to introduce more international equestrian competitions in the future.
“Apart from hosting competitions, we will serve citizens with public welfare in mind and contribute to the horse industry at the same time,” said Zhang Jiaheng, general manager of the center.
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