LGCT 2018, Edwina Tops-Alexander stars in Miami Beach

Edwina Tops-Alexander won a five-way jump-off to triumph at the second leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour in the sun of Miami Beach.
The Australian had struggled with injury problems with her mount California before the competition and had not even been confident of making it to the start-line.
But once there, the horse proved to feel in top form as Tops-Alexander clinched her second LGCT Miami Beach Grand Prix title, after winning the class in 2016 aboard Lintea Tequila.
Thanks to this success, Edwina is the second rider — after Mexico City Grand Prix winner Scott Brash — to qualify for the Longines Global Champons Super Grand Prix which will take place at the GC Prague Play Offs this December.
Edwina Tops-Alexander and California rode two clear rounds, including the fastest jump-off time of 32.07 seconds, edging out Qatar’s Bassem Mohammed, the only other rider who pulled off a double clear. Ireland’s Darragh Kenny rounded out the podium after an unlucky fence down with Cassini Z.
The winner prised the course set by designer Uliano Vezzani because, in her opinion, it was not only technical but also testing how much you know your horse and feel confortable aboard of him.
The overall LGCT Ranking battle is already an intense affair, with the British rider leading the charge for the 2018 season with 67 points. Behind him is Pieter Devos with 60 points and third Edwina Tops-Alexander with 54.
4th Gerco Schroder NED 51 pts5th Bertram Allen IRL 48 pts6th Leopold van Asten NED 47 pts7th Jerome Guery BEL 42 pts8th Marcus Ehning GER 42 pts9th Christian Kukuk GER 41 pts10th Daniel Deusser GER 37 pts10th Bassem Hassan Mohammed QAT 37 pts
The Italians: 12th ALBERTO ZORZI 35 pts36th PIERGIORGIO BUCCI 15 pts41st LORENZO DE LUCA 0 pts
Results: https://www.globalchampionstour.com/events/2018/miami-beach/results/1915…
Rankings: https://www.gcglobalchampions.com/#rankings Press Release LGCT
Photo: Edwina Tops Alexander AUS California Grand Prix winner LGCT Miami Beach 2018 credits Stefano Grasso LGCT