Alberto Zorzi & Cornetto K. ph: LGCT/Stefano Grasso
To close out Day 2 of the Global Champions Tour Monaco, Italy’s Alberto Zorzi and the 11-year-old Hannoverian gelding Cornetto K (Cornet Obolensky x Calido) delivered an electrifying jump off round to win the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix de Prince du Monaco on Saturday, June 24, 2017.
In the class prior, Zorzi qualified for the grand prix with a top 25 placing in the second round of the Global Champions League, where he piloted Cornetto to a 7th place finish. The duo returned to the jump off track and secured the lump sum of the €300,000 purse with a speedy time of 37.80 seconds. They just edged out Christian Ahlmann and his new mount Dolocia for the win.
“I’m so excited to win my first Global [grand prix], and Cornetto jumped very good today; I’m so happy,” said Zorzi. “Before the jump off we watched Christian, and Jan said [do one less] in one to two and I was just a little faster.”
Zorzi and Cornetto have only shared a partnership since January of this year, but they have already racked up accomplishments across the board, most recently finishing 4th in the €300,000 Grand Prix Rolex du Jumping de Versailles CSI5* and 2nd in the €300,000 LGCT Grand Prix of Miami. With the results of the class held in Monaco, France, Zorzi moved up to 3rd place with 145 points on the LGCT overall ranking.
Zorzi’s rapid ascent in the sport can be credited to his position as a rider at Stal Tops in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, where he is coached by Jan Tops, and has been given the opportunity to compete the horses of Athina Onassis.
“I’d like to say thank you to Jan and Athina for the horses, and Jan for teaching me every day,” Zorzi acknowledged. “We work very hard but we have results, and we are very happy.”
The 13-obstacle course was designed by Belgium’s Luc Musette, and in an arena that happens to be the smallest of the GCL venues, the course offered difficult lines and combinations, with only two of the 25 riders producing double clear rounds.
Germany’s Ahlmann secured the first clear of the night aboard the 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Dolocia (Verdi x Furore), and finished in 2nd place with a final time of 38.20. Following the class, Ahlmann moved up the LGCT overall ranking board to 1st place with 154 points.
“She did an amazing job today and I didn’t really expect it, so I’m very happy with my 2nd place,” said Ahlmann. “We’ve had a good season but she’s a very young horse and when she did her first CSI5* grand prix I didn’t expect very much. In Madrid I could feel that she was something special, but she wasn’t ready to be in the top 3. She did an amazing job today to finish 2nd and we had an amazing day. Alberto and Kevin did a good job and I will be in Paris with my top horses Taloubet and Caribis Z, so I hope I can keep the position. I’m really motivated and we will see what we get.”
Kevin Staut of France produced the fastest of the faulty rounds with the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding For Joy van’T Zorgvliet HDC (For Pleasure/Heartbreaker). The two finished in 3rd place with a time of 41.05 and 4 faults.
“This is For Joy’s first Grand Prix in six months; he’s been out for a bit but he’s now back on the top spot after just three shows, and I am really happy with the result”, said Staut. “I’m really happy to be back on the podium and it was a great Grand Prix. Luc Musette built a great course – really technical, and I was happy to jump a course like this. There were a lot of riders picking up four faults, but I was happy with the course and how I went.”
For the full results, click this link.
For the LGCT overall standings, click this link.