LONDON: World number one equestrian Henrik von Eckermann rode “King Edward” to victory at the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Rome over the weekend to push himself into title contention ahead of next month’s Riyadh Finals event.
With the win, the Swede is in a race with Dutchmen Harrie Smolders and Maikel van der Vleuten for the 2023 title with just the finals round in Saudi Arabia and the playoffs round in Czechia remaining.
In Rome, David Will riding “My Prins” finished second, while Peder Fredricson on “Catch Me Not S” and Andreas Schou on “I Know” finished joint third, clocking the exact same time in the jump-off, highlighting the fierce competition in the 14th stage of the season.
With Smolders (on 252 points) and van der Vleuten (on 238 points) not scoring in Rome, the championship race will come down to the finest margins; von Eckermann pushed himself into a solid third place on 235.5 points and in with a shout of the title.