GCT Miami Beach to Katrin Eckermann

Four years ago, Katrin Eckermann was victorious for the first time in Miami, back then with Cala Mandia. She repeated this success the following year. Today, it was the 13-year-old OS mare Dialou Blue PS who gave her rider her first ticket to the Super Grand Prix of all winners at the end of the season in addition to 115,500 euros in prize money. Eckermann had to tremble for her victory for a long time.

13 pairs had reached the second round of the 1.60 meter jumping competition for the Global Champions Tour stage directly on the beach in Miami. Eckermann and the Diarado’s Boy daughter were fourth and took the lead in a clear 44.15 seconds. So she had to wait nine pairs until it was finally clear: it was enough. Victory in the Global Champions Tour show jumping competition in Miami.

It was the third for Katrin Eckermann at this point, but the first ever for them as a pair since Eckermann took over the mare from Kevin Staut at the beginning of 2025. The French Olympic champion had brought her into the big sport.

This was a huge success for Eckermann – and her second this weekend, after winning the individual classification of the second Global Champions League competition with Chao Lee on Friday.

The winners

Jack Whitaker and the twelve-year-old Belgian mare Izara des Dames were closest to the winning time, but a good 1.5 seconds slower. The 24-year-old and the Emerald daughter seem to have sought and found each other. He took her over from his compatriot Rebecca Marsh at the turn of the year. Until this weekend, the mare had never jumped a 1.60 meter course. On Friday, they contributed to Madrid in Motion’s Global Champions League victory with a clear round in the first round over these dimensions, today Izara gave her rider one of his greatest successes of his still young career alongside fifth place in the 2022 World Cup Final.

Third place went to Italy’s Piergiorgio Bucci on the eleven-year-old Cornet Obolensky son Pallieter vd N.Ranch. Whitaker needed 45.68 seconds for his clear round, Bucci and Pallieter were also clear in 46.06 seconds.

The new pair Zascha Nygaard/Drako de Maugre, who had already gone clear yesterday when Sophie Hinners snatched the day’s victory, were also among the participants in the jump-off. However, the Danish rider decided to forgo the second round in order to conserve the strength of the Kannan son, who had previously carried Patrick Stühlmeyer to the German Championship title, among others. The calculation worked out, at least in the normal course. In the jump-off, however, the pair, who have only been riding together for a few weeks, still lacked fine-tuning.

Sophie Hinners and Lommers missed the jump-off after two knockdowns and five time faults in the first round.

You can find all the results here.