Day 1

:00:41. > :00:44.The 2012 Olympics and Paralympics did more than prove that Britain

:00:45. > :00:50.love sport, it proves that Britain can organise sport that than anyone.

:00:51. > :00:57.Let us face it, we have been staging major events in London for

:00:58. > :01:03.centuries. The mall has seen historic processions of the Royal

:01:04. > :01:13.variety and the annual athletic procession for thousands of marathon

:01:14. > :01:22.runners. Last week, it was full of riders. We have different riders

:01:23. > :01:26.this week and we should be focused, a little further to Horse Guards

:01:27. > :01:30.Parade, that was the inspirational choice for beach volleyball at

:01:31. > :01:35.London 2012. Now it has been transformed into a showjumping arena

:01:36. > :01:41.and welcomes the world for the London leg of the global champions

:01:42. > :01:45.tour. Leading the way is the world number one from Scotland, Scott

:01:46. > :01:49.Brash, the overall reigning champion of the global champions tour. Now

:01:50. > :01:56.number three in the world, his Olympic team-mate Ben Maher, he won

:01:57. > :01:59.the London Grand Prix last year. The leader in terms of the tour rankings

:02:00. > :02:06.after ten legs is Rolf-Goran Bengtsson from Sweden, he won the

:02:07. > :02:10.individual silver in Beijing. Second in the standings is Edwina

:02:11. > :02:15.Tops-Alexander, whose husband Jan came up with the concept, she has

:02:16. > :02:25.won it twice before. You will also see the man who won the individual

:02:26. > :02:34.gold medal in London. Steve girth so -- Steve Guerdat. You are not here

:02:35. > :02:36.unfortunately, what happened? Unfortunately I picked up an

:02:37. > :02:38.unfortunately, what happened? Unfortunately I picked injury three

:02:39. > :02:43.or four weeks ago. A niggling injury from last year so now we have two

:02:44. > :02:50.give him a good break and try and get him back for Rio. Let us hope

:02:51. > :02:55.so. That long a break? Hopefully he will be back this time next year,

:02:56. > :02:59.maybe 12 months, then a year to prepare and a lot of shows to go

:03:00. > :03:07.on, we have two work hard to get him back but I think he will be. A big

:03:08. > :03:10.year for showjumping, the World Championships not far away and many

:03:11. > :03:16.of these riders will have it in their minds, many of them riding in

:03:17. > :03:20.tomorrow's Grand Prix, they have -- they are riding their world

:03:21. > :03:25.Equestrian horses as well. It is the last big event before the world

:03:26. > :03:29.games. It is a big competition, a lot of money involved with the tour

:03:30. > :03:36.and a good test them before the games. The 11th leg of the tour, how

:03:37. > :03:41.big has this been for the showjumping scene? How big is it

:03:42. > :03:45.with the riders? It is very popular now, one of the most popular events

:03:46. > :03:51.we have now and it is going from strength to strength and I think

:03:52. > :03:55.next year we will have 20. Tomorrow's Grand Prix is worth a lot

:03:56. > :03:59.of money, we have 57 riders, many of them riding their second string

:04:00. > :04:05.horses, their top horses will be going tomorrow evening, also live on

:04:06. > :04:12.BBC Two. We will have a look at how some of the early starters got on.

:04:13. > :04:18.Over 90,000 euros, a lotto prize money. Marcus Ehning is here with

:04:19. > :04:25.one of the top horses. -- a lot of prize-money. He was second in

:04:26. > :04:34.Madrid, he is the first of many world-class riders we have here.

:04:35. > :04:37.COMMENTATOR: It is fascinating to watch him write this wonderful

:04:38. > :04:45.stallion. This would be regarded as possibly his best horse. A lot of

:04:46. > :04:48.the best horses will be saved for the Grand Prix tomorrow but this

:04:49. > :04:54.combination could well figure at the World Championship right at the

:04:55. > :05:09.death. He has unbelievable ability. Watch him float around the course.

:05:10. > :05:15.He has an extra gear. Two strides in the middle for this horse. A little

:05:16. > :05:22.bit of a slope on this course, the answers are not uphill. On this

:05:23. > :05:26.line, you need a lot of balance, coming downhill, for strides to the

:05:27. > :05:33.vertical with the tray underneath, just into this last fence now. The

:05:34. > :05:42.time is 79 seconds, comfortable ee inside that, that is a clear for

:05:43. > :05:45.Germany, the world number four, has won two Olympic golds, world gold

:05:46. > :05:57.medals, one of the best here at horse guards. -- Horse Guards

:05:58. > :06:07.Parade. Now the Olympic champion, this afternoon, riding Concerto's

:06:08. > :06:09.son. He has done one round of the 11 so far of this global champions

:06:10. > :06:27.tour, that was in Antwerp. He is an outstanding rider. Steve

:06:28. > :06:32.Guerdat riding one of his less well-known horses. He has had

:06:33. > :06:42.incredible success with the Olympic gold medal. Six short strides down

:06:43. > :06:49.to that square oxer, a difficult fence. A difficult start but this is

:06:50. > :06:53.a long course, it is a very tight arena. We have seen a couple of

:06:54. > :07:01.horses tire towards the end of the course. Just a little bit of

:07:02. > :07:05.inexperience, you see how that gate is split, a light and delicate

:07:06. > :07:17.fence. Just the inexperience beginning to show. Not the only star

:07:18. > :07:24.to have fences down, the last goes as well, 12 and just inside the

:07:25. > :07:27.time. Time has been a little bit of an effort but not for Steve Guerdat,

:07:28. > :07:38.the Olympic champion from Switzerland. From one individual

:07:39. > :07:42.Olympic gold medallist to 18 gold medallist, 48-year-old Laura Kraut

:07:43. > :07:49.from the United States of America. Based here in Britain. Based with

:07:50. > :08:01.Nick Skelton in Warwickshire. This is a very good horse, only nine news

:08:02. > :08:04.old. Finished third overall at the 2013 global riders championship

:08:05. > :08:08.tour, not quite the success this year but still one of the best

:08:09. > :08:15.riders in the world and certainly one of the best lady riders in the

:08:16. > :08:19.world. Absolutely right, a rider so effective, able to sit quietly in

:08:20. > :08:26.that lovely forward seat when she needs to but she can also be strong

:08:27. > :08:29.and powerful. Able to ride a variety of different horses, going through

:08:30. > :08:39.that stage of rebuilding the string. Her top horse is just

:08:40. > :08:44.getting on a bit and it is always tough for riders to find that next

:08:45. > :08:51.superstar. Just having a little touch, that stayed up, just one

:08:52. > :08:59.fence to go. She is through, she is so good against the clock. Laura

:09:00. > :09:07.Kraut, she joins Marcus Ehning and already, class is showing through

:09:08. > :09:23.here at Horse Guards Parade. Peter Charles, one of three of the London

:09:24. > :09:28.Olympic gold-medal lists. One of his horses sold on to Jessica

:09:29. > :09:36.Springsteen, she is here, riding at the Grand Prix here. Peter Charles,

:09:37. > :09:46.54 years old, an amazing career. He rode for Ireland between the early

:09:47. > :09:50.1990s and the early to thousands. Winning the European team gold medal

:09:51. > :09:57.and the moment of his life was that Olympic gold medal in 2012. He

:09:58. > :10:05.turned to British citizenship back in the early to thousands. He is

:10:06. > :10:13.working hard, such an effective rider. Just allows this mayor to go

:10:14. > :10:20.her own way. Not too much control. -- this horse. She has a lot of

:10:21. > :10:34.scope. That was unlucky, just putting the front leg on the back

:10:35. > :10:42.rail of the oxer. He has won over 50 grands prix in his career. He is as

:10:43. > :10:50.enthusiastic as ever but it is one down for the team gold medallist

:10:51. > :10:56.from Britain, Peter Charles. Now, Jessica Springsteen, just coming off

:10:57. > :11:01.a wonderful performance in Dublin where she helped the Americans win

:11:02. > :11:05.the Nations cup. She is one of the most talented riders in the United

:11:06. > :11:13.States of America. Trained in Warwickshire by Laura Kraut. 22

:11:14. > :11:18.years old and already one of a very good bunch of young stars in the

:11:19. > :11:26.sport in the United States of America. Jessica Springsteen coming

:11:27. > :11:35.on in leaps and bounds over the last year or two. A fabulous jumping

:11:36. > :11:41.horse, coming down here, a slight disagreement coming into the oxer

:11:42. > :11:45.there. It gives you some idea how tight those six strides are. A lot

:11:46. > :11:58.of horses have run into that front rail. These jumps around this arena

:11:59. > :12:10.coming thick and fast. Not a great deal of room to get your balance.

:12:11. > :12:25.Really pinging down this line. Down to the last. We will see a lot more

:12:26. > :12:31.of this goal, there are her family. Laura has gone clear and Jessica is

:12:32. > :12:37.improving all the time. Jest has a great natural feel for the course,

:12:38. > :12:40.she did not take a lot of teaching. She can figure it out really quickly

:12:41. > :12:47.and she has a quick mind with the horses. She had great success last

:12:48. > :12:53.week in Dublin with the Peter Charles horse. She is going great.

:12:54. > :12:56.Her parents are obviously very supportive, they are here in London

:12:57. > :13:01.and they were here last year as well. They love it, they really

:13:02. > :13:07.follow her and are delighted for her. She will hope one day to press

:13:08. > :13:12.the man at the top of the world rankings, Scott Brash, from Peebles

:13:13. > :13:20.in Scotland. He is riding his number one horse tomorrow, he told me more

:13:21. > :13:26.about the quirks of the horse he is riding today. We have two put the

:13:27. > :13:29.plugs in her to drown out the noise and that makes her more relaxed and

:13:30. > :13:36.settled. She can be a normal horse then. Different to the ones I have

:13:37. > :13:42.seen before. They go in the air and stay there, they do not irritate

:13:43. > :13:48.her. She definitely does not like noise. Tonight, the atmosphere will

:13:49. > :13:55.be great and it will be noisy so this will definitely help her.

:13:56. > :14:01.COMMENTATOR: 28-year-old Scott Brash, what they meteoric rise from

:14:02. > :14:11.the team gold medal in London. The world number one rider. He has won

:14:12. > :14:23.two of the tour rounds, in Estoril and can -- cans. It is hello Annie.

:14:24. > :14:32.And the great Scott Brash. Hello Annie is another horse from Bettina

:14:33. > :14:44.Fletcher. They have been great producers for horses that have gone

:14:45. > :14:49.on for Scott Brash. That line has caused a few problems. Another one

:14:50. > :14:55.there, a very tight six strides, down that slope. It is a difficult

:14:56. > :15:07.fence to jump, it has been the hardest one on the course so far.

:15:08. > :15:14.Scott riding with his usual dash and feel. Always has a much empathy with

:15:15. > :15:20.his horses. Just one unlucky mistake. We will see him again, will

:15:21. > :15:49.it be in the Grand Prix tomorrow? Let's go back to the live action

:15:50. > :15:51.with a face you will recognise because he has been in the

:15:52. > :15:58.showjumping game for half a century, John Whitaker. COMMENTATOR: John

:15:59. > :16:07.Whitaker is 59, but he is still winning world-class Grand Prixs. --

:16:08. > :16:13.grands prix. His latest was a fantastic performance on this horse,

:16:14. > :16:18.owned by the Whitaker family, and a horse that Nick Skelton took right

:16:19. > :16:22.to the top of the world. This rider, on his day, can still give the best

:16:23. > :16:30.of them a run for their money. No British clear rounds so far. Ten

:16:31. > :16:35.clear rounds at the moment. This is one of those horses who gives

:16:36. > :16:42.absolutely everything he has got. He does not have the biggest stride or

:16:43. > :16:46.absolutely top scope but he is a great trial. That was unlucky. That

:16:47. > :16:53.fence has really caused problems. Just a bit downhill. One or two

:16:54. > :16:59.horses, getting insight to that oxer, not able to keep their shape

:17:00. > :17:02.and balance. -- getting in tight. John has been in fantastic form

:17:03. > :17:16.around Europe, winning grands prix all over the place. At 59, he is

:17:17. > :17:22.still hungry. Down to the last. The time is OK but it is two down, for

:17:23. > :17:36.the great John Whitaker. Eight full is. -- eight full is. -- eight

:17:37. > :17:39.faults. Still a very good win on the continent. The thing about a field

:17:40. > :17:44.like this, as we can see his brother, Michael, outside, who has

:17:45. > :17:53.just been put onto the British squad for the world Equestrian games,

:17:54. > :17:56.which is just about two weeks away. We are back inside and it is the

:17:57. > :18:05.44-year-old from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kamal Abdullah

:18:06. > :18:10.Bahamdan. This rider was one of the team that won the bronze medal in

:18:11. > :18:14.the team competition in London. A tremendous achievement for the Saudi

:18:15. > :18:18.Arabian team. They put a lot of money and effort into getting into

:18:19. > :18:22.the elite of showjumping, and my word, it has worked. A 14-year-old

:18:23. > :18:36.horse. This is one of those typical whole

:18:37. > :18:41.stein grades, beautiful pipes, all the scope and power but he does not

:18:42. > :18:46.like the look of those planks. That was quite strange. He was cruising

:18:47. > :18:59.around. Yellow and pink is not his colour.

:19:00. > :19:05.We have had a few clear rounds so far around this course. But let's

:19:06. > :19:10.not forget, this is a tough course. It is technical and big and the long

:19:11. > :19:15.way round. There are problems all away around because. You need to

:19:16. > :19:19.powerful and careful. Any lack of concentration. We have seen one or

:19:20. > :19:27.two horses just off the pace, really struggling. The course designer is

:19:28. > :19:30.from Italy, and certainly one that is appearing at a lot of major

:19:31. > :19:35.shows, produces a lot of world-class showjumping. The riders enjoyed his

:19:36. > :19:40.courses. Certainly, here, we are seeing the very best put to the

:19:41. > :19:47.test. Still, ten of them gone clear. In total, 20, for the Saudi Arabian

:19:48. > :19:54.rider. So exciting, standing here on the edge of the warm up arena.

:19:55. > :20:02.Ben Maher, his groom putting the finishing touches to the horse. As

:20:03. > :20:06.anyone who has done pony club knows, the ribbon in the tail means that

:20:07. > :20:12.they click and you should -- they kick and you should steer clear of

:20:13. > :20:15.the rear end. Here is handy with his legs. You have to be devil in the

:20:16. > :20:19.warm up arena because they get close to each other. Wrote quite a tricky

:20:20. > :20:24.course and because of the landscaping, there is a drop on the

:20:25. > :20:27.arena of over a metre. Sometimes they are galloping downhill. Maybe

:20:28. > :20:31.that is the reason why there are so many fences down. Walking in their,

:20:32. > :20:32.when I walked close, you can feel it when you are walking that you are

:20:33. > :20:43.going downhill and uphill. With the way that the course has

:20:44. > :20:47.been built, it is to their advantage, especially with the ones

:20:48. > :20:50.they are having down from the plank to the oxer, it is a short six and

:20:51. > :20:56.running downhill makes it even shorter. Acts, Nick. Let's go back

:20:57. > :21:03.to the commentators. COMMENTATOR: Now the young Norwegian

:21:04. > :21:06.girl, Eirin Bruheim. Part of a wonderful start programme from

:21:07. > :21:09.William Funnell and his wife, paper. The horse has shown some good form

:21:10. > :21:10.in this country before he was sold on.

:21:11. > :21:13.The horse has shown some good form in this country before He is a

:21:14. > :21:18.12-year-old by one of their top horses. Norway would be one of the

:21:19. > :21:21.nations in the world's elite. They nearly won a bronze medal in the

:21:22. > :21:26.Hong Kong Olympics 2008 which was later taken away because of a drug

:21:27. > :21:33.problem. They still have some very good riders. Just coming home with

:21:34. > :21:45.12 faults. A tough round with the last going as well. And a time

:21:46. > :21:48.penalty, as well. Two for Canada, two for Belgium, two for the US, one

:21:49. > :21:54.for Netherlands, Germany, Qatar, the emerging nation, that is really

:21:55. > :22:05.going right to the top, and of course, for France, the never be

:22:06. > :22:08.Leprevost. -- Penelope Leprevost. That is the warm up facility. It has

:22:09. > :22:14.all fitted into horse guards very well indeed, this iconic venue. --

:22:15. > :22:29.Horse Guards Parade. Another of the London medallists, Jur Vrieling. He

:22:30. > :22:32.has twice been Dutch champion. Perhaps not one of the world stars

:22:33. > :22:40.but still in the world's top 50 riders. There is no doubt, Andy,

:22:41. > :22:43.that the sport, with the support of the global riders championship tour,

:22:44. > :22:48.the Nations Cup series, has developed so quickly now.

:22:49. > :22:54.Definitely. Everything is evolving so rapidly. Interesting to watch Jur

:22:55. > :22:57.Vrieling, he took the long route to number four, the horse looked a bit

:22:58. > :23:04.stuffy and not quite going forward. A little shake of the head and he is

:23:05. > :23:13.probably going to retire. By a great, outstanding stallion of the

:23:14. > :23:18.last decade, written for Belgium. His sons are beginning to jump very

:23:19. > :23:27.well indeed. That is the Dutch champion of 2012, retiring.

:23:28. > :23:34.Well, one thing is for certain, the senior riders still have one or two

:23:35. > :23:39.great men, and none greater than that, Ludger Beerbaum. Great to have

:23:40. > :23:44.him. He has just been ranked number two in the world ahead of Ben Maher.

:23:45. > :23:48.Scott Brash is number one, remember. But back in the ring, another of the

:23:49. > :23:57.exciting young American riders, Katherine Dinan. She's only 21. She

:23:58. > :24:04.has had some huge victories on the now very impressive American

:24:05. > :24:11.circuit. She was placed 24th in the Global Champions Tour in Paris, on

:24:12. > :24:21.her top horse. Here, she is riding another horse from Dargo. This is a

:24:22. > :24:27.typical offspring. A lot of power, very active.

:24:28. > :24:36.Let's have a look at this line. This is where they have a short six

:24:37. > :24:39.strides. They are all getting in tight and that was fantastic. This

:24:40. > :24:44.is one of the best we have seen over that oxer. That little blue water

:24:45. > :24:48.tray does catch the eye of the horses and they look down into it.

:24:49. > :24:56.It is very hard to jump the front rail. Masses of power over those two

:24:57. > :25:00.oxers in the middle and that is uphill as well. The Americans on

:25:01. > :25:06.fire with two of the ten clear rounds, Beezie Madden one of them,

:25:07. > :25:12.the Olympic gold medallist. But they have got a real mix of young talent

:25:13. > :25:17.and experience. This is the young talent coming good for America. It

:25:18. > :25:18.is their third clear round. They are the team

:25:19. > :25:26.is their third clear round. They are the on fire and the moment. They

:25:27. > :25:30.could be an exciting prospect. That was a fabulous round. Never in

:25:31. > :25:35.danger. Clean, Cavill, athletic, plenty of power. One of the best we

:25:36. > :25:42.have seen so far today. -- clean, careful. Now, the world number

:25:43. > :25:49.three, Britain's Ben Maher. Of course, part of the outstanding

:25:50. > :25:52.Olympic gold-medal team in London. He was the first rider to be ranked

:25:53. > :25:58.number one in the world are the best part of 30 years. He is back to

:25:59. > :26:03.number three at the moment. Here's horse is owned by James Forbes

:26:04. > :26:08.Clark. A new owner for Ben, after London. Ben has had a disappointing

:26:09. > :26:13.season. His London horse was sold on. He has got an exciting new one

:26:14. > :26:19.but he is sadly injured. His horse power is not as strong as it was.

:26:20. > :26:30.But this horse, brought out by Barry Dove, has had some decent

:26:31. > :26:41.performances. This little horse, not necessarily obviously Scobey, but a

:26:42. > :26:45.real fighter. -- Scopy. Horses of his blood are a bit hot-headed. He

:26:46. > :26:53.is with arguing, fighting for his head. -- always arguing. A real

:26:54. > :27:02.jumper. He needs a bit of pace to jump these oxers. Fantastic riding

:27:03. > :27:04.from Ben, again. If this horse gets into the jump off, he is a very

:27:05. > :27:16.quick operator against the clock. Ben is so good at getting the best

:27:17. > :27:22.out of the horses and gives them confidence. My word, a key round.

:27:23. > :27:30.Britain is in the battle. APPLAUSE So, 12 now clear rounds will stop

:27:31. > :27:39.Ben Maher among them. One man very pleased about it, the British team

:27:40. > :27:42.manager. Fabulous these of riding from Ben, super accurate. He kept

:27:43. > :27:47.his focus and held his balance all the way. They are going to be

:27:48. > :27:55.exciting to watch, as a way is, in the jumpoff. Rob Hoekstra, in

:27:56. > :27:58.collections, delighted there. Already underway, the next rider

:27:59. > :28:03.from Qatar, the latest nation to really invest in some wonderful

:28:04. > :28:14.horsepower. This is Khalid Mohammed A S Al Emadi with a 14-year-old. The

:28:15. > :28:18.Qatar equestrian world, of course, has spent a lot of money, and in the

:28:19. > :28:26.thoroughbred world, and they have some great horses on the flat, and

:28:27. > :28:32.certainly, with their manager's wonderful experience, they are

:28:33. > :28:35.looking like a team ready to join the rest on the top of the world

:28:36. > :28:42.stage. He took that one on, completely off-balance through the

:28:43. > :28:55.front row of the oxer. -- front rail.

:28:56. > :29:06.Earlier this year, the Qatar riders had their first ever winner of a

:29:07. > :29:12.Global Champions Tour Grand Prix. Hassan Mohammed had a tremendous

:29:13. > :29:15.victory in one of the tour Championships. They have hit the big

:29:16. > :29:26.time. That was a tidy round, just the oxer

:29:27. > :29:30.that we have seen come down so many times, with the water tray. Every

:29:31. > :29:42.other horse seems to be having a full, there. -- full.

:29:43. > :29:50.The prize pot is 90,500 euros, and a third of that going to the winner.

:29:51. > :29:54.Income is one of the Swiss stars, perhaps of the past but still very

:29:55. > :29:59.talented, Beat Mandli. Ben Maher learned a lot of his trade after

:30:00. > :30:04.going to Beat Mandli. A great stylist and he is riding a very

:30:05. > :30:09.interesting horse. You might remember Nikki Boulter producing

:30:10. > :30:13.this horse for old lodge and riding it in this country. It went in the

:30:14. > :31:16.US to be ridden out there but now he is back with Beat Mandli.

:31:17. > :31:23.He was an exciting prospect when Nicky rode him. Decent Grand Prix

:31:24. > :31:27.results to come from these two, just landing on the back rail, did not

:31:28. > :31:33.quite make the stretch. But a very effective round.

:31:34. > :32:04.horse, Hickstead, Olympic champion in Hong Kong in 2008. The Canadians

:32:05. > :32:10.were second and went on to be the best horse in the world games,

:32:11. > :32:16.sadly, Hickstead died in 2011. Although this man rode in the 2012

:32:17. > :32:21.Olympics, he gave the sport up for a year or so but is now back with a

:32:22. > :32:35.good team of horses, riding here for Canada. Eric Lamaze.

:32:36. > :32:44.Even the top riders like Eric Lamaze struggling to jump that oxer am he

:32:45. > :32:51.sat up to balance that horse. Another one going as well. It is

:32:52. > :32:55.always tough for riders, when they have had a horse as good as

:32:56. > :33:01.Hickstead, to come back and rebuild, it takes a strength of character.

:33:02. > :33:07.Let us hope Eric Lamaze and find another top horse. He has two or

:33:08. > :33:15.three, he won the Le Monde Grand Prix with power play. -- Le Monde

:33:16. > :33:21.'s. Very well poised this afternoon, this competition. Let us join Clare

:33:22. > :33:29.balding. Just saying some umbrellas going up, Ben Maher is alongside me,

:33:30. > :33:33.that did not look like a straightforward ride? He is a bit

:33:34. > :33:38.tricky, feisty, probably fun to watch but not always so much fun to

:33:39. > :33:46.ride. But you never get a horse who tries harder than him. He jumps like

:33:47. > :33:51.he has springs. I have had some good horses and today, he is the same,

:33:52. > :33:57.you just cannot train horses to do that, he is a phenomenal jumper. You

:33:58. > :34:03.are the first British rider into that jump off, you are going to go

:34:04. > :34:07.for it? He is naturally a fast horse so I have to be careful not to chase

:34:08. > :34:12.the others in the jump off, do a nice quick round and hope he will be

:34:13. > :34:17.quick enough today. COMMENTATOR: Another young star of the future,

:34:18. > :34:22.coming from a family with a great record, this is Constant van

:34:23. > :34:26.Paesschen, an Olympic bronze medallist, World Championship

:34:27. > :34:31.bronze. This man has come through the youth titles, at 20 years old,

:34:32. > :34:44.he is already winning senior classes. He is riding a horse from

:34:45. > :34:51.Belgium. A very exciting rider, Constant van Paesschen. A meteoric

:34:52. > :35:00.rise to the top of the sport, his family, generations of horse dealers

:35:01. > :35:04.and trainers. A great show man, great feel and ability, just the

:35:05. > :35:10.last fence going. Has done well in the Global Champions Tour. Third at

:35:11. > :35:15.Antwerp and then fourth in Monaco. He has been playing with the best,

:35:16. > :35:25.we will see more of him, possibly here at horse guards when this great

:35:26. > :35:32.show has finished. Finishes on for faults.

:35:33. > :35:46.-- four false. This man has done Britain proud over the years. Just

:35:47. > :35:57.been picked for the world Equestrian games in two or three weeks, Michael

:35:58. > :36:04.Whitaker. Was based yesterday in one of the two classes for the wonderful

:36:05. > :36:08.field of international riders here. This man on form could be an

:36:09. > :36:15.important part of that British squad in France. Viking has had a bit of a

:36:16. > :36:20.break, he will jump him in the Grand Prix tomorrow. I spoke to Michael

:36:21. > :36:25.earlier, and he feels Viking has had a nice rest and should be ready to

:36:26. > :36:33.go to the world games. But he is one of five, not necessarily one of the

:36:34. > :36:39.four that will compete. He hopes to come back with a bang tomorrow.

:36:40. > :36:43.Michael Whitaker will be on his way to the world Equestrian games and

:36:44. > :36:48.Laura Kraut will be there, can I unofficially call you captain of the

:36:49. > :36:54.American team? Unofficially, but I will not be there this year, the

:36:55. > :36:59.horses I have now are too young and Cedric is too old but I will be on

:37:00. > :37:04.the sidelines cheering on our team. I just assumed because you have been

:37:05. > :37:09.going well. It is nice of you to assume that but I am sitting this

:37:10. > :37:14.year out. Jessica Springsteen was short listed and she has performed

:37:15. > :37:18.well. She has been named to the team but she is a reserve I would say, I

:37:19. > :37:23.will just be there as a cheerleader. You are based in the UK now, how

:37:24. > :37:29.does it feel to be back in London? It is fantastic. Is crazy behind

:37:30. > :37:34.us, it is wonderful, a beautiful setting and being in London is my

:37:35. > :37:40.favourite city. We are having a great time. A lot of Americans in

:37:41. > :37:47.the jump off, we wish you well in that. Thank you very much. This is

:37:48. > :37:52.someone who could challenge, the great Ludger Beerbaum. Riding as

:37:53. > :37:57.well as ever, surprisingly, got eliminated in Dublin, something

:37:58. > :38:01.almost unheard-of, the Germans did not have a good show but he can

:38:02. > :38:17.never be dismissed. This is an exciting horse, he has had some good

:38:18. > :38:23.victories. He is really as hungry as ever, just resting his top horse a

:38:24. > :38:28.little bit in the past few weeks, saving her for the world games. This

:38:29. > :38:39.horse with loads of ability, 15 years old. Just one fence to jump.

:38:40. > :38:46.And he is through. He is very close, he is over that time. He has time

:38:47. > :38:50.faults. Interestingly enough, that bit of music normally signifies a

:38:51. > :38:55.clear round, the judges got it wrong, they have not quite looked at

:38:56. > :38:59.their clocks. Ludger Beerbaum will be furious. What a shame.

:39:00. > :39:03.their clocks. Ludger Beerbaum will be furious. Just over the 79

:39:04. > :39:09.seconds, the looked up and you can see, he is cross with himself. If

:39:10. > :39:19.that is German, it is probably just as well I do not know what he says!

:39:20. > :39:38.This is now the turn of Al Raimi. They have some great horses. There

:39:39. > :39:42.is their trainer and the mastermind behind this Global Champions Tour

:39:43. > :39:46.which is certainly taking world-class showjumping to new

:39:47. > :39:56.heights, they went to Shanghai earlier this summer. And it is

:39:57. > :40:00.developing the sport so well. We talk about the age of horse is quite

:40:01. > :40:11.a bit, eight years old is extremely young to be jumping at this level.

:40:12. > :40:19.The 160 level. Right up there, 160, 50 wide, it is a big ask for an

:40:20. > :40:24.eight-year-old to jump around here. Especially with some of these tricky

:40:25. > :40:28.distances, the younger horses start to struggle towards the end of the

:40:29. > :40:31.course, the pressure of the concentration for such a long time,

:40:32. > :40:37.just a little bit too much but that is a nice horse to watch with

:40:38. > :40:48.technical ability. Still no clear rounds for Qatar. One time faults as

:40:49. > :40:56.well, it means neither he nor Ludger Beerbaum will be through to the

:40:57. > :41:03.jump. Still 12 rounds. And a few dark clouds have appeared overhead

:41:04. > :41:08.in the last hour or so but a little more blue sky now. Let us hope it

:41:09. > :41:15.stays that way, a huge amount of rain here yesterday, some big cloud

:41:16. > :41:21.bursts. Good to see the arena facility is looking so good for this

:41:22. > :41:25.new venue. As income is the reigning European champion, Roger-Yves Bost,

:41:26. > :41:34.he won that in Denmark last year. He beat both when Maher and Scott Brash

:41:35. > :41:39.for the individual medals. He really has been in the sport at the top now

:41:40. > :41:48.for well over ten years. Winning 18 medal for France in the world games

:41:49. > :41:53.back in Stockholm in 1990. -- Ben Maher. You can see his legs, elbows,

:41:54. > :41:59.feet stuck through the stirrups, it is all happening but the horses love

:42:00. > :42:04.him. When he won the European Championships, he is such a popular

:42:05. > :42:08.guy, everybody likes him. But he just could not hold the balance down

:42:09. > :42:12.that line there. Great to watch him go because he does it all his own

:42:13. > :42:23.way, breaking every rule in the book. But he is such a big winner.

:42:24. > :42:31.And fearsome against the clock. He has a very good team of horses.

:42:32. > :42:36.Owned by Lady Georgina Forbes. That is what has propelled him back into

:42:37. > :42:40.the world 's elite. The erratic style, the lost a stirrup down that

:42:41. > :42:51.line but did not seem to take much notice. He finishes with four faults

:42:52. > :42:56.but do not discount him, he has already been in the money in the

:42:57. > :43:01.speed class, he is one of the best at that. Just swung out to the

:43:02. > :43:11.right, tried to attack the boxer but really thumped the front rail. --

:43:12. > :43:18.oxer. Nearly two thirds of the way through this round, 12 are through

:43:19. > :43:27.to the jump. Now we have a very popular Irish rider, Conor Swail. He

:43:28. > :43:31.has been very successful on both sides of the Atlantic. One of the

:43:32. > :43:37.few riders who has spent more time than most in Ireland. Ireland have

:43:38. > :43:44.had a very mixed season, a very disappointing Nations cup in Dublin

:43:45. > :43:50.last weekend. But then, 19-year-old Bertram Alan won the Dublin Grand

:43:51. > :43:59.Prix on Molly Malone to give them a tremendous end to the show. I think

:44:00. > :44:07.in fact, they are still to pick the Irish team because their form has

:44:08. > :44:14.been erratic. He has got that lovely style, a fluent way of attacking the

:44:15. > :44:18.course. We have seen quite an American influence on his riding.

:44:19. > :44:21.That defence has not caused too many problems but a little bit of a

:44:22. > :44:24.That defence has not caused too many problems but a little bit of lack of

:44:25. > :44:38.power, tried to stretch. Slightly uphill there.

:44:39. > :44:47.One down for the Irishman, he could well be in the reckoning for the

:44:48. > :44:55.world Equestrian games. Conor Swail of Ireland. One of the early clear

:44:56. > :44:59.rounds was Marcus Ehning, you are not allowed to walk the jump of

:45:00. > :45:07.course, have you been busy studying the map? I was a bit loss and then I

:45:08. > :45:11.showed him the right course. It is the second round against the time,

:45:12. > :45:18.it is not really difficult but you have to be fast. How good a quality

:45:19. > :45:24.is this class, it is the warm up for tomorrow's Grand Prix but it seems

:45:25. > :45:26.pretty hot? It is a tough course, a few clues already but really good

:45:27. > :45:40.money in this class. your foot on the gas. COMMENTATOR:

:45:41. > :45:48.The person here is watching with special interest because it is

:45:49. > :45:52.Edwina Tops-Alexander. She has had some lovely horses. One of her great

:45:53. > :45:58.has just been retired. She has twice won the overall championship on the

:45:59. > :46:05.Global Champions Tour, in 2011 and 2012. This horse played such an

:46:06. > :46:10.important -- another horse played such an important part, retired

:46:11. > :46:13.earlier this season. This horse is certainly putting her right in the

:46:14. > :46:17.reckoning. She is there a dim the league at the moment and has had a

:46:18. > :46:22.very good season so far. -- she is third in the league. Australia's

:46:23. > :46:27.outstanding start of the world of showjumping, certainly encouraging

:46:28. > :46:33.more from the Australians to get into the international stage. The

:46:34. > :46:38.second fence coming down, two from home. But again, running downhill to

:46:39. > :46:45.the difficult water tray rustic oxer as well.

:46:46. > :46:59.So, a number of people who have come in this afternoon to enjoy the

:47:00. > :47:03.class. Another big crowd expected tomorrow as Edwina Tops-Alexander

:47:04. > :47:09.finishes with eight. That front rail on a narrow fence, not much to back

:47:10. > :47:13.the horses off, no fillers. Rustic rails don't always encourage the

:47:14. > :47:20.horses to get in the air. Edwina and Jan, based in Holland. Now we come

:47:21. > :47:26.back to Switzerland, and it is the former world another one again, Pius

:47:27. > :47:33.Schwizer, who has been remarkable because he has won Olympic medals

:47:34. > :47:37.with some great horses. But he sold his top horses to Eric Lamaze, and

:47:38. > :47:43.he is back with some more good horses, winning big prizes. He is a

:47:44. > :47:49.very talented rider. He has done five rounds. He was sixth in

:47:50. > :47:53.Shanghai and second in Paris on the global tour. And of course, he has

:47:54. > :48:01.also won a European team gold medal at Windsor in 2009. That was an

:48:02. > :48:05.interesting decision from Pius Schwizer. Practically no one else

:48:06. > :48:12.has tried to put six strides in up to the double. He went for the extra

:48:13. > :48:17.one, got way too tight and had it down. I think you can safely say

:48:18. > :48:21.with him, and it is a fabulous horse, but he rides so many

:48:22. > :48:26.different ones. As Mike said, he sells a few of them and find more.

:48:27. > :48:32.To me, that is the mark of a great horseman. Not having a great round

:48:33. > :48:37.here today, coming into the last fence, two down already and the last

:48:38. > :48:47.one. Made a good job of front and back rail. The Swiss team

:48:48. > :48:54.representative, there. He was a big part of the French squad a few years

:48:55. > :48:59.back. He really is a man who can might so many different horses. He

:49:00. > :49:04.gives them confidence. -- who can ride. Yellow macaroni produces a lot

:49:05. > :49:09.of top horses that he sells on, and they go well for other riders as

:49:10. > :49:12.well. Not a big area. They have managed to get the important

:49:13. > :49:16.facilities, and of course, the warm up is so important. We saw a few

:49:17. > :49:24.wars is warming up as we see the young with William, Marlon Modolo

:49:25. > :49:28.Zanotelli -- the young Brazilian. Brazil, of course, with the Olympics

:49:29. > :49:33.just two years away, really looking to develop their team. They went

:49:34. > :49:38.very well in the Nations Cup final last year, in Barcelona. They

:49:39. > :49:48.finished third, amongst the world's best. They have got one clear round,

:49:49. > :49:52.from that man Doda de Miranda. Brazil have one of the 12

:49:53. > :49:59.representatives but can they make it to? This horse has an enormous

:50:00. > :50:03.stride and massive power. Just as I am saying that, it is difficult,

:50:04. > :50:07.down that line for those kind of forces. This one is by Coleman,

:50:08. > :50:14.which is the same as Robert Whitaker's Catwalk. They are always

:50:15. > :50:25.big, scopy horses. Tremendous engine, as you can see over those

:50:26. > :50:32.two oxers. We saw Doda de Miranda watching and his wife owns this

:50:33. > :50:40.horse. She also rides on this tour. They are very involved, and of

:50:41. > :50:41.course, based in Belgium, where a lot of the Brazilians appear on the

:50:42. > :50:53.continental circuit. In this modern sport, you need

:50:54. > :50:57.everything. A horse with tremendous ability but they have to be super

:50:58. > :51:16.careful. They are very light fences. Only a little touch and down they

:51:17. > :51:23.come. One of the world's top riders, now. McLain Ward. His previous horse

:51:24. > :51:34.died last year. But he is riding a horse that he rode in the Nations

:51:35. > :51:38.Cup, and a big winner in the State. He has one of the outstanding

:51:39. > :51:41.records on the big American circuit. His father is also an

:51:42. > :51:53.international jumper. But this man is Star class, without doubt. It is

:51:54. > :51:57.a way using -- amazing, the way the Americans ride with such perfect

:51:58. > :52:00.lower leg position, in balance with the horses. Thereafter so many

:52:01. > :52:04.different ways of riding horses around the showjumping course, but

:52:05. > :52:13.this man is stylish and effective. One of the best in the world. This

:52:14. > :52:16.horse is a little bit of character and temperament. A very consistent

:52:17. > :52:27.jumper. Cruising around, well inside the

:52:28. > :52:29.time. The Americans are showing why they are looking such a good

:52:30. > :52:37.prospect that the world Equestrian games. McLain Ward, cruising around.

:52:38. > :52:41.That means now that there are three of them through, the only country to

:52:42. > :52:48.have three, Laura Kraut, Beezie Madden and McLain Ward. All those

:52:49. > :52:54.riders in the top 30 in the world. Yes, American showjumping is really

:52:55. > :52:57.flying at the moment, winning Nations Cup events all over the

:52:58. > :53:05.place and coming here with a very strong team.

:53:06. > :53:14.Well, here, now, is the Iceman from Sweden, Rolf Gonnet Bankston -- golf

:53:15. > :53:25.Gran Bentsen. He was European champion in 2011,

:53:26. > :53:30.winning it down in Madrid. He was in the bronze medal team for Sweden. He

:53:31. > :53:37.has had some great, great horses. And still writing at his very best.

:53:38. > :53:43.He is still right in the top three of the global tour championship

:53:44. > :53:48.league at the moment. He is one of the best riders we have seen in the

:53:49. > :53:59.world over recent years. This is the most beautiful horse, by Clear Way.

:54:00. > :54:08.The whole stein greys are all stamped with this quality. -- Josh

:54:09. > :54:18.a little bit of that stallion character a rout -- about him. But

:54:19. > :54:23.no man better to ride the stallion. He is so effective at making the

:54:24. > :54:27.horses concentrate. Four Olympic Games, three World Championships,

:54:28. > :54:31.seven European Championships. That is what that man has done and of

:54:32. > :54:36.course, he has been European champion and a silver medallist in

:54:37. > :54:42.the Olympics in Hong Kong in 2008. He joins the list, 13 clear rounds.

:54:43. > :54:46.And by the way, you better had not go away because we have 13 of the

:54:47. > :54:52.best already through to the Times jump off. Great round, lovely to see

:54:53. > :54:59.Rolf-Goran Bengtsson in the jump off. He always has a go. Actually

:55:00. > :55:07.the 14th clear round. Now Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands, who has

:55:08. > :55:15.ridden for the great dealer, riding some difficult horses very well

:55:16. > :55:21.indeed. Axel now has a very talented 20-year-old son and Harrie Smolders

:55:22. > :55:26.is involved with helping him. He is riding a horse that has been a big

:55:27. > :55:32.winner for him and the Dutch team. I really hope this horse gets into the

:55:33. > :55:36.jump. She really is a flying machine. If you ever see Harrie

:55:37. > :55:38.Smolders going flat out against the clock on this one, it really is

:55:39. > :55:52.exciting. She is one of those that does it a

:55:53. > :55:56.bit her own way. But if you get a mayor that fights for you, and

:55:57. > :56:07.really tries, you can see that she bent her back beautifully. -- get a

:56:08. > :56:14.mare. She is 14, plenty of experience, and a fast time. That

:56:15. > :56:17.combination could that the cat amongst the pigeons on the 30,000

:56:18. > :56:25.euros. My word, that looked easy-peasy. The Dutch, now, have two

:56:26. > :56:32.representatives, Maikel van der Vleuten and Harrie Smolders. 15

:56:33. > :56:38.through to the jump. We are in for an exciting job. Ben Maher, and this

:56:39. > :56:49.mare and some flying machines to look forward to. Now it is the

:56:50. > :56:58.Qatari, Faleh Suwead Al Ajami. This 11-year-old is by Come On. Qatar

:56:59. > :57:06.came to London last year and impressed us. A year on, they have

:57:07. > :57:18.shown even more skill, developing over these very decent courses.

:57:19. > :57:24.These kind of competitions, they are such good yardsticks, to see where

:57:25. > :57:30.you are in the sport as far as nations are concerned. You really

:57:31. > :57:36.don't get world-class fields like this that often in a season. We have

:57:37. > :57:39.so many big shows on all the time but trying to get the world's best

:57:40. > :57:42.altogether, unless it is a championship, but certainly, in

:57:43. > :58:05.London now, they are all here. Come on, just towards the end of the

:58:06. > :58:09.course, just to fences down at the moment, and running right into the

:58:10. > :58:17.bottom of the vertical with the water tray behind it. A time fought

:58:18. > :58:29.as well, two of them. 14 in all. -- time fought. CLARE BALDING: McLain

:58:30. > :58:35.Ward, the Americans are going really strongly. Yes, let's hope it can

:58:36. > :58:39.continue. What is your approach to the jump off? Do you go for it all

:58:40. > :58:43.guns blazing or is there an element of caution? We have a big class

:58:44. > :58:45.tomorrow so you have to keep it in the back of your mind. The horses

:58:46. > :58:49.are pretty seasoned and they know how to go fast and come back the

:58:50. > :58:53.next day. It is great to have a shot at the prize money in this great

:58:54. > :58:57.event. The Global Champions Tour takes you around the world. For us

:58:58. > :59:02.in London, it is hugely exciting that it is here for a second time.

:59:03. > :59:05.What is it like for you? It is a great tour and the prize-money is

:59:06. > :59:08.phenomenal and to be in the heart of major cities is a great atmosphere.

:59:09. > :59:13.We hope it can continue and come more to North America so we can be

:59:14. > :59:19.involved. I think that is the plan. We hope. Jan said they were talking

:59:20. > :59:24.about New York. That would be great. We love to participate. We are a

:59:25. > :59:28.couple of thousand miles away. It would be great to have some large

:59:29. > :59:32.events there as well. But it proves you can drop showjumping into quite

:59:33. > :59:36.a tight space, here. Absolutely, indoor shows have done it for a

:59:37. > :59:40.number of years and we have followed that model. It works great in the

:59:41. > :59:43.heart of the city. Spectators passing through, more people

:59:44. > :59:50.exposed, just wonderful for the Indies Yaz and the promotion of the

:59:51. > :59:54.sport. Good stuff. -- for the individuals. COMMENTATOR: While we

:59:55. > :59:58.were listening to Maclean Ward, you can see one of the best lady riders

:59:59. > :00:03.in the world, in fact the third best, in the top 20, retired,

:00:04. > :00:10.Luciana Diniz. She has been very successful on the tour. She may well

:00:11. > :00:16.be back tomorrow. You have to disregard the lady from Portugal.

:00:17. > :00:20.Hans-Dieter Dreher is going now, one of the newer names in the elite of

:00:21. > :00:23.German showjumping. Great strength in depth in German showjumping

:00:24. > :00:28.although interestingly, they are finding it more difficult to be

:00:29. > :00:32.dominant these days. Thereafter so many nations who are very

:00:33. > :00:51.competitive at the very top level. -- there are so many.

:00:52. > :00:55.12-year-old. We try not to use the phrase bodhi fence if we can help it

:00:56. > :01:08.but that really is a bodhi fence, the narrow boxer, rustic rails --

:01:09. > :01:13.oxer. A big jump to content with. This stallion really made a mess of

:01:14. > :01:20.it. Hans-Dieter Dreher is a really good, tough, physical rider. We used

:01:21. > :01:33.to see him on the fantastic horse embassy. But to down here. 15 of the

:01:34. > :01:39.world 's elite have gone clear. The next rider will interest this crowd,

:01:40. > :01:46.we are proud of our young riders in Britain and here is one in that

:01:47. > :01:55.elite, Jessica Mendoza from Wiltshire. Already a winner here

:01:56. > :02:04.yesterday and very much part of the great success of Britain's youth

:02:05. > :02:08.teams against -- again this year. It is fantastic for me to watch her

:02:09. > :02:15.riding around here, she came to me when she was eight years old and her

:02:16. > :02:23.father, Paul mend those, -- Mendoza. Buying horses to get her to

:02:24. > :02:29.this level, a fantastic inspiration behind-the-scenes. Jessica is now

:02:30. > :02:37.based over in Holland where Paul feels she can get more experience.

:02:38. > :02:46.Another one struggling to jump that difficult fence down the hill. It is

:02:47. > :02:50.very unbalancing. It is quite hard to appreciate, watching the

:02:51. > :03:01.television pictures, just how much of a slope there is there. She has

:03:02. > :03:08.certainly been very successful on both sides of the Channel. The move

:03:09. > :03:12.to ride in the big Continental shows has really developed her skills even

:03:13. > :03:18.more. It is one down but another class round from this young lady,

:03:19. > :03:25.Jessica Mendoza, finishing with four faults. A great round, stepping up

:03:26. > :03:29.to this 5-star level machine is still in the young riders, if she

:03:30. > :03:32.can keep on finding the right horses, she is so talented that she

:03:33. > :03:38.will be around the top of the sport. horses, she is so talented that she

:03:39. > :03:41.will be around the top of the How about that as a backdrop, the London

:03:42. > :03:49.eye in the background but this is horse guards, you think back to Her

:03:50. > :03:55.Majesty the Queen's birthday parade, all the excitement of that and now

:03:56. > :03:59.we have the world 's best show-jumpers showing us their

:04:00. > :04:06.wonderful talent. One of the leading riders in America, Kent Farrington,

:04:07. > :04:12.he has won the King George V gold cup at Hickstead before now, we saw

:04:13. > :04:21.him going well in the Arc Grand Prix, in a tremendous jump off on

:04:22. > :04:28.this very horse. This is the biggest money winner in the United States,

:04:29. > :04:32.Kent Farrington. He is one of those riders in the fantastic position of

:04:33. > :04:40.having several Grand Prix horses. He is able to cycle them around. This

:04:41. > :04:44.is another rider that we really want to see in the jump off, he has a

:04:45. > :04:55.very quick and fluent style naturally. That has gone, we have

:04:56. > :05:01.not seen that back rail come down too often. That is quite a surprise.

:05:02. > :05:06.We really did not see that coming, jumping quite a clean round to that

:05:07. > :05:11.point. Against the clock he is one of the worlds best it is not to be,

:05:12. > :05:12.the Americans will have just three riders through to the jump off, one

:05:13. > :05:35.fence down for Kent Farrington. Another look here, I think it is the

:05:36. > :05:41.front feet dropping, just getting the belly a bit low on that back

:05:42. > :05:48.rail, always annoying to have a fence down like that. Away goes

:05:49. > :05:54.Cameron Hanley, what a story this is. This man who had such a serious

:05:55. > :05:59.leg injury as the result of an accident playing with his kids in

:06:00. > :06:05.2011, it kept him out for well over a year, he wondered if he would ever

:06:06. > :06:10.ride again. Countless operations but came back in 2013 and now looks a

:06:11. > :06:16.real prospect for the Irish team in the world Equestrian games, riding

:06:17. > :06:20.this very horse. Based in Germany but has been a very good winner this

:06:21. > :06:27.season, he is not going to win this one but again, he has really

:06:28. > :06:38.overcome adverse of tea and it is so good to see. Ireland have a lot of

:06:39. > :06:42.top jockeys around at the moment and they certainly have a new superstar

:06:43. > :06:48.with Bertram Alan coming through but they have great strength in depth

:06:49. > :06:58.with their jockeys. A bit like the British team, it is all about

:06:59. > :07:01.horses. This horse has a bit of character in him, always makes him a

:07:02. > :07:12.bit sharp and quirky around the corners. That could be a very nice

:07:13. > :07:22.warm up for the big prix tomorrow. 90,000 euros is a very good price

:07:23. > :07:29.part -- prize pot. He will bow out of the jump off with that one fence

:07:30. > :07:37.down. Having a look through the double, did not get the stretch.

:07:38. > :07:51.Just held himself in the air. One left to go. This is the young lady,

:07:52. > :07:57.Flaminia Straumann, they have had some great success over the years. A

:07:58. > :08:19.very influential family. This young lady riding a 10-year old.

:08:20. > :08:33.This is one of those horses with easy power. A very big and tall

:08:34. > :08:44.horse. Let us see if they can stay careful down to this oxer. That

:08:45. > :08:52.fence really has caused a lot of problems today. Another one with the

:08:53. > :08:59.front rail coming down. 15 clear rounds, but none for Switzerland.

:09:00. > :09:06.One of the worlds elite nations in showjumping. Getting through, and it

:09:07. > :09:15.shows the high standards we are watching. The Italian course

:09:16. > :09:20.designer will be very pleased. It was a tough call, there was some

:09:21. > :09:26.quality but also some who have found it tough so it is a tough balance

:09:27. > :09:33.but he has got it right. Certainly has, not easy at this level. No joy

:09:34. > :09:38.for Flaminia Straumann, 15 in all for the young lady from Switzerland.

:09:39. > :09:48.And 15 clear rounds to go through to the jump off against the clock. The

:09:49. > :09:57.course being changed for that jump off, these are the clear rounds.

:09:58. > :10:11.The Dutch are well represented, as are the Germans. Beezie Madden is

:10:12. > :10:19.flying. McLain Ward, we have heard, he will not hang back. Ben Maher is

:10:20. > :10:32.there as well. This is a world-class field and what about the good

:10:33. > :10:44.Beerbaum? He must be kicking himself to miss out by one time fault. He

:10:45. > :10:52.has probably saved himself for tomorrow. I think he will challenge

:10:53. > :11:14.so he has probably been lucky. The riders are always thinking about

:11:15. > :11:19.what is coming next. He talked about that and the red ribbon in the tail

:11:20. > :11:25.as well. But he is such a good horseman. He is a good rider with

:11:26. > :11:33.great feel for the horse and how you need to ride it. This horse is not

:11:34. > :11:39.easy. He is always keeping hold of him, the one thing he has in his

:11:40. > :11:44.favour is that he is very careful. He does not have the most scope in

:11:45. > :11:56.the world but careful is his best attribute. Ben on the British team

:11:57. > :12:04.for the world Equestrian games, Spencer Road is a new addition, a

:12:05. > :12:11.huge moment for him. -- Spencer wrote. The horses are often so keen

:12:12. > :12:17.to get on with it and can look and balanced on a corner and then the

:12:18. > :12:22.six feet in the air. This horse can jump off any football any distance,

:12:23. > :12:30.it is against all the rules, where he goes, he does his own thing. He

:12:31. > :12:34.runs round the corners but his great attribute is that he is very

:12:35. > :12:40.careful. We saw Ben Maher in the jump off with you this time last

:12:41. > :12:46.year at the Olympic Park so we know he will shave corners and come in on

:12:47. > :12:51.an angle. He was definitely be off anyway, I would definitely put my

:12:52. > :12:55.money on him. Showjumping one of the many Olympics ports that the BBC are

:12:56. > :13:05.covering this summer, this is what is coming up.

:13:06. > :13:15.Such magical moments. The brothers showing the way once again. It is

:13:16. > :13:19.simply stunning. A wonderful performance.

:13:20. > :13:31.Geraint Thomas, superb. What a star, it is a gold.

:13:32. > :13:41.If you want to get involved with athletics or triathlon, go to the

:13:42. > :13:45.BBC website. A brilliant night of athletics tonight, the 200 meter

:13:46. > :13:52.finals, Christine recoup going in the 400 metres.

:13:53. > :14:02.We will be back tomorrow with coverage of the main event, the

:14:03. > :14:03.Grand Prix, worth doodles of cash and the London leg of the Global

:14:04. > :14:15.Champions Tour. -- I wonder whether the team gold medal

:14:16. > :14:21.from the Olympics for the British team, which included the to Charles

:14:22. > :14:25.and Nick Skelton, how much have you seen the Olympic effect bubble

:14:26. > :14:30.through in showjumping? Lou macro since then, I have taken a step back

:14:31. > :14:35.and been on the national circuit. There has been a lot of enthusiasm

:14:36. > :14:41.around. Straight after the Olympics. All of those people at grassroots

:14:42. > :14:47.level, it has given them something to aim for. As it also bubble

:14:48. > :14:54.through in terms of expectation, knowing you guys even better. I

:14:55. > :14:58.definitely think it has, we are getting more spectators than we have

:14:59. > :15:10.had for a long time. It is great for the sport. Windsor was fantastic

:15:11. > :15:15.this year. Because of the sponsorship. We are beginning to see

:15:16. > :15:20.better shows because if we do not have the shows, we cannot showcase

:15:21. > :15:26.ourselves in this country. British showjumping was the 70s and 80s, is

:15:27. > :15:30.it coming back now? I think we are catching up with Europe, in the

:15:31. > :15:41.past, we were leaders but Europe copied that and bettered it.

:15:42. > :15:45.showjumping coming to the accuracy, the gentility but the impressiveness

:15:46. > :15:50.of the first round but then you get the speed merchant in the jump. Who

:15:51. > :15:54.do you think take the prize? It will be the guy is going last that

:15:55. > :15:57.usually have the best raw because the margins are so tight, you can

:15:58. > :16:01.lay down a good time in the first three or four. There's quite a few

:16:02. > :16:06.good ones at the end but one of the last three good ones at the end but

:16:07. > :16:09.one of the last three could Maher. I have but last night, the class had

:16:10. > :16:17.21 clear rounds and it was won in the jump. That is true but generally

:16:18. > :16:18.speaking, the later ones will win. Let's confirm who is going through

:16:19. > :16:29.to the jump off. Laura Kraut, Nick, actually, if she

:16:30. > :16:39.years you not mentioning her, that will be a big mistake. -- if she

:16:40. > :16:42.hears. Then here come the ones to watch towards the end, from

:16:43. > :16:48.Katherine Dinan, down. Ben Maher will know what he has to do and

:16:49. > :16:50.McLain Ward literary impressive. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson leads the

:16:51. > :16:54.Global Champions Tour at the moment. And the last ago from the

:16:55. > :16:58.Netherlands will be Harrie Smolders. Let's go back to the commentators as

:16:59. > :17:03.the first jump of rider goes for it. Andy Austin is alongside Mike

:17:04. > :17:07.Tucker. COMMENTATOR: We spoke earlier about riders who have come

:17:08. > :17:10.back from bad injuries. This is a lady who will get us under way,

:17:11. > :17:17.Tiffany Foster from Canada, who broke her back in 2008. But under

:17:18. > :17:22.the great interviews as Modric LeMay is, she is back, riding as well as

:17:23. > :17:24.ever. She rode in London but did not have a lot of joy. -- the great Eric

:17:25. > :17:33.Lamaze will stop -- Eric Lamaze. have a lot of joy. -- the great Eric

:17:34. > :17:37.Lamaze will stop -- Eric Victor, one of Eric Lamaze's pupils, at Eric

:17:38. > :17:42.Lamaze is proving a bit like Ian Miller before him, the magic man.

:17:43. > :17:44.Eric is there. He has a wonderful team of riders that he is now

:17:45. > :17:54.involved with, who are really making their mark. I don't expect this

:17:55. > :17:57.young lady to hang about. 15 to go and we saw Beat Mandli win

:17:58. > :18:04.yesterday, the first ago of around 20 in the jump off. -- the first to

:18:05. > :18:09.go. Let's see what Tiffany Foster can do. Let's have a look at the

:18:10. > :18:13.course with her. This was the planks in the first they put a round rail

:18:14. > :18:17.on the top and she has a ready set sail down to the wall. Great

:18:18. > :18:23.attacking ride. Spinning back-up. I guess they can only do five strides,

:18:24. > :18:33.here. Impossible to take one out on that distance. Spinning back, here.

:18:34. > :18:36.It was the gate. Towards the end of the course, the last fence is the

:18:37. > :18:44.same as it was in the first round. Let's have a look at her time. That

:18:45. > :18:49.goes as well, and she stopped the clock at 33.29. It is a total of

:18:50. > :18:54.eight. The time is pretty useful but I would say it would be beaten. But

:18:55. > :19:00.it gives us a good indication. It is not slow. Yes, a definite idea of

:19:01. > :19:05.what we would expect, even though she had a fence down, she kept

:19:06. > :19:10.going. They will go a bit quicker. Some of the terms that she made,

:19:11. > :19:19.spinning back in to that fence. -- some of the turns. This man used to

:19:20. > :19:23.ride the Ukraine and now writes for Belgium. They have a good team and

:19:24. > :19:27.this is one of the reasons why. He is number ten in the world. I think

:19:28. > :19:37.you will find he will set out with purpose. Gregory Wathelet for

:19:38. > :19:43.Belgium, then, on his mount. Really attacking the wall. You saw a bit of

:19:44. > :19:49.hesitation on take-off. When the horses are pushed slightly out of

:19:50. > :19:52.their comfort zone, you try to take a stride out, they come off the

:19:53. > :19:57.bridle and you don't produce the jump. He is really going for it, and

:19:58. > :20:00.almost ridiculously tight turn. The early riders under pressure and that

:20:01. > :20:06.is the last we will see of him, I think. He felt the pressure a bit

:20:07. > :20:11.too much. He thought for a moment he was doing dressage to music. A bit

:20:12. > :20:15.of sideways movement, not required, just settling everything down. When

:20:16. > :20:21.the horse has been pressurised and spun up to fences, it is important

:20:22. > :20:24.to just calm down and retire. That is quite a surprise. He has won some

:20:25. > :20:28.very good competitions against the clock but it is not to be this

:20:29. > :20:30.afternoon at horse guards per. Gregory Wathelet retires. -- Horse

:20:31. > :20:44.Guards Parade. Some of the riders outside, watching

:20:45. > :20:48.on the screen. Hans-Dieter Dreher and some other riders, watching, as

:20:49. > :20:55.incomes and other real contender, the 26-year-old, Maikel van der

:20:56. > :21:00.Vleuten. This source is a very good Ryder Cup -- ride, winning the

:21:01. > :21:09.Madrid round of the Global Champions Tour. And following in the footsteps

:21:10. > :21:13.of his very talented father, Eric. They rode in the same 5-star Nations

:21:14. > :21:20.Cup in St Gallen, a few years back, when the Dutch one. -- the Dutch won

:21:21. > :21:26.it. That is a moment that Mickael Landreau route and really -- Maikel

:21:27. > :21:31.van der Vleuten really treasures but bikes that he wants the 30,000 euros

:21:32. > :21:35.first prize. Interestingly, we slightly overlooked in with some of

:21:36. > :21:40.the other speed merchants but this source can really attack the fences.

:21:41. > :21:47.-- overlooked him. She is 15, plenty of experience.

:21:48. > :22:02.Well, it is a long way to the back rail. Not getting clear rounds at

:22:03. > :22:07.the moment. The riders are going for it and making mistakes. That is so

:22:08. > :22:13.often the way in the jump. Particularly with the pressurised

:22:14. > :22:18.competitors coming at the end. -- in the jump off. Certainly, Harrie

:22:19. > :22:24.Smolders is one they will be hearing. In the end, it is four.

:22:25. > :22:33.36.31, goes into the lead at the moment, but still a lot more to

:22:34. > :22:38.come. That was three seconds slower than Tiffany Foster's time, but she

:22:39. > :22:41.had to fences down. That goes into the lead but when you see her go

:22:42. > :22:47.around three seconds quicker, we know they are going faster -- going

:22:48. > :22:52.to go faster. I agree. Marcus Ehning, an interesting one. You

:22:53. > :22:56.mentioned that Maikel van der Vleuten did not have the power over

:22:57. > :23:00.the combinations but this one will not be lacking power. How much will

:23:01. > :23:06.he put his foot down? This is a very talented horse, who has been part of

:23:07. > :23:13.Marcus Ehning's success in this year's Global Champions Tour.

:23:14. > :23:18.Germany with only one challenger in the Global Champions Tour this

:23:19. > :23:24.afternoon. This may just be a tactical round. It would be so easy

:23:25. > :23:26.for Marcus Ehning to turn up to the big fences without even struggling.

:23:27. > :23:33.That is a ridiculous amount of power. Not even in second gear. And

:23:34. > :23:38.he goes the shortest route. It may not be the quickest but it is the

:23:39. > :23:49.shortest. It has gone. That is a surprise. A simple vertical. It is

:23:50. > :24:00.faster, and it is a new leader, Marcus Ehning. 34.5, with four. But

:24:01. > :24:05.it will be beaten. Someone can jump clear and someone can go faster.

:24:06. > :24:08.Just look at this. Even the world's best horses can sometimes make a

:24:09. > :24:18.sloppy mistake, drop their back legs on the turn. At this stage, tactics

:24:19. > :24:22.will start to play a part. We have got some very quick, careful

:24:23. > :24:28.combinations to come. We certainly have. And here could be a danger,

:24:29. > :24:34.Laura Kraut. She won the team gold-medal against the clock in Hong

:24:35. > :24:39.Kong. A true Mendis battle with the Canadians. She has won some great

:24:40. > :24:43.competitions ever since. -- tremendous battle. This is a

:24:44. > :24:57.nine-year-old, owned by a syndicate called Stars and Stripes.

:24:58. > :25:01.Just keeping its neat and tidy at the moment, not really going for it.

:25:02. > :25:15.-- keeping it. Moving up a gear. Good pace, up to the last. Are we

:25:16. > :25:17.going to get our first clear round? We have! Laura Kraut has set the

:25:18. > :25:34.target, clear, 34.26. Game on. Well, she is delighted with that, as

:25:35. > :25:38.she should be. It was a beautifully judged round. Look at this. She did

:25:39. > :25:41.not overcook it, getting a lot of hype over the first part of the

:25:42. > :25:49.course and then quickening up over the last to fences. -- a lot of

:25:50. > :25:55.hype. CLARE BALDING: You're pretty pleased with that? Yes, he's a bit

:25:56. > :25:59.green and inexperienced but a great performance. Now it is looking like

:26:00. > :26:04.the riders are taking their chances. She is the only clear so far. Is the

:26:05. > :26:09.time fast enough? I don't think that will be fast enough to win but in

:26:10. > :26:13.that position, with no clear rounds, you need to jump clear. But

:26:14. > :26:18.if she finishes third or fourth, it is good. Ben Maher is just behind

:26:19. > :26:20.us. He has been watching the early riders and he will start warming up

:26:21. > :26:23.as we rejoin the action. COMMENTATOR: Gudrun Patteet, for

:26:24. > :26:37.Belgium, clear so far. This part of the course, not much in

:26:38. > :26:44.it. It is about chancing these two oxers, galloping down here. She did

:26:45. > :26:48.not quite take this one on. It is fair to say, she is the least

:26:49. > :26:55.experienced of the field. But she has put in a very good effort. It is

:26:56. > :26:58.clear, for the young Belgian rider. It puts her into second place,

:26:59. > :27:11.35.85. A great effort from this

:27:12. > :27:16.eight-year-old. Just here, very careful horse, phenomenal ability.

:27:17. > :27:23.But she did not really chance the last two oxers. I think she is just

:27:24. > :27:28.delighted to jump two clear rounds. It is a very special day.

:27:29. > :27:38.Absolutely. Now, Ireland's chance, Denis Lynch. He is one of many Irish

:27:39. > :27:43.riders who compete outside Ireland, as we watch the rest of the forces

:27:44. > :27:48.warming up. The team manager, Robert, looking to pick his team for

:27:49. > :27:57.the world Equestrian games. But Denis Lynch is a man who has won the

:27:58. > :28:02.Aachen Grand Prix in 2009. He has had some very big wins, often riding

:28:03. > :28:08.big, jumping horses. Can he go quick enough and stay clear? The

:28:09. > :28:17.11-year-old, and Michael Whitaker had a very good horse which was his

:28:18. > :28:21.brother. One thing he can do is take strides out. He has a phenomenally

:28:22. > :28:28.big cantor and he is already eating up the ground. Not very agile on the

:28:29. > :28:34.turn. If he can jump this double, the last two oxers. He is a bit

:28:35. > :28:38.slower. He will have do chance the vertical and that is the one that is

:28:39. > :28:41.hard for him to jump because he has got the scope to eat the oxer macro.

:28:42. > :28:52.Clear rounds, very is guess at the moment. -- very scarce. Just two.

:28:53. > :28:56.Currently in third place, but he goes into fourth, with that fence

:28:57. > :29:01.down, and Laura Kraut is still leading for the US, clear, 34.26,

:29:02. > :29:04.with the young Belgian, Gudrun Patteet in second place with the

:29:05. > :29:08.other clear round. This fence is proving really hard, and the big

:29:09. > :29:14.scope Powell horses find it hard because they don't scare care --

:29:15. > :29:18.state-level. But Ben Maher's course will be careful over that vertical.

:29:19. > :29:24.That is when he has two chances arm and make some time up. Keep our

:29:25. > :29:28.fingers crossed! LAUGHTER Of course. What a wonderful place to

:29:29. > :29:35.bring world-class showjumping, the heart of one of the world. The

:29:36. > :29:42.Brazilian rider, comes in, Doda de Miranda, very experienced, came to

:29:43. > :29:47.Europe to train. He is a man who won an Olympic gold medal in 1996 in

:29:48. > :29:52.Atlanta. Very experienced. He has won some big, additions. He is

:29:53. > :29:58.having a go, taking a stride out to the wall. -- he has won some big

:29:59. > :30:02.competitions. He is motoring but he has to be careful to get the balance

:30:03. > :30:05.into the double. You cannot do anything other than five strides.

:30:06. > :30:11.That is the tight turn and staying careful. Now it's need somebody to

:30:12. > :30:16.chance the last fence, just swing into it and keep moving. Surely this

:30:17. > :30:25.is quicker? He's not quite there. No, 35.03, goes into second place

:30:26. > :30:26.behind Laura Kraut. That puts the young Belgian, Gudrun Patteet, into

:30:27. > :30:42.third place. little quicker than we thought. This

:30:43. > :30:54.is a good effort here. Spending time in the air over the double. They do

:30:55. > :31:04.need to take the chance over those last two oxers. Some of the riders

:31:05. > :31:08.settling down to a late lunch as income is probably one of the

:31:09. > :31:18.biggest dangers of all, a very talented Beezie Madden, silver

:31:19. > :31:29.medallist in the world games, this is Simon, Beezie Madden, less than

:31:30. > :31:33.two weeks ago, the first lady rider ever to win the famous George V Gold

:31:34. > :31:40.cup at Hickstead, she has been in flying form. The target is to go

:31:41. > :31:47.clear in less than 45.26. She elected to go eight strides, got a

:31:48. > :31:52.bit close to the wall and the brick comes out so she is not going to do

:31:53. > :31:57.it. This jump off is perhaps not what we expected, not seeing the

:31:58. > :32:01.flying rounds just yet. Laura Kraut has done a nice economical and tidy

:32:02. > :32:15.round on not the most experienced horse in the class but she is still

:32:16. > :32:19.out in front. That is the slowest of the riders on for false at the

:32:20. > :32:23.moment. Laura Kraut will be enjoying that glass of champagne if she can

:32:24. > :32:29.stay out in front. The only other clear round came from the Belgian

:32:30. > :32:34.rider Gudrun Patteet you'll. Two more ladies riders to come, for more

:32:35. > :32:44.gentlemen and that includes Ben Maher for Britain. This is

:32:45. > :32:52.Leprevost, ranked number nine in the world. A lovely flowing style, will

:32:53. > :33:06.she leave the fences up on this nine-year old? A horse that won the

:33:07. > :33:15.last world games in Kentucky. Penelope Leprevost of France. Eating

:33:16. > :33:24.up the ground, taking a stride out to the wall, a beautiful turn. No

:33:25. > :33:30.change in the rhythm, that always makes it quicker. A very similar

:33:31. > :33:35.time. Close, that was tight, she can do it here if she opens the stride

:33:36. > :33:44.up. It is all about this turn, she is turning tight, it will be very

:33:45. > :33:47.close. She may just do it. 34.05, it is enough and France go top of the

:33:48. > :33:57.leaderboard. France, America, Belgium. Five left to jump. If you

:33:58. > :34:03.want to see smooth, controlled, balanced riding, that is it, that

:34:04. > :34:09.was fabulous. No fuss, no kicks, just fluency all the way and that is

:34:10. > :34:13.why it was so quick. Just a slight tight turn here on the angle, lovely

:34:14. > :34:21.athletic and careful jump there, then opening the stride up and

:34:22. > :34:25.swinging to the last fence. She has been in the French top team for a

:34:26. > :34:33.number of years now. Laura Kraut down into second place now, will she

:34:34. > :34:38.drop further? Katherine Dinan for the United States of America, will

:34:39. > :34:48.she go ahead of her great mental and rival, Laura Kraut? Riding a

:34:49. > :34:54.14-year-old, this lady already with a lot of experience. Some real

:34:55. > :35:00.talent to look forward to for American showjumping, the she is

:35:01. > :35:05.certainly one of them. Jump in amazingly good first round, a lot of

:35:06. > :35:17.height and a horse that looks as if it can gallop at the fences. That is

:35:18. > :35:25.beautifully done. This is in touch. I do not think it will quite get

:35:26. > :35:31.there. 35.35 but remember the name Katherine Dinan from the United

:35:32. > :35:39.States of America. That goes nicely into fourth place at the moment.

:35:40. > :35:45.35.35 with a clear round. It was a great effort, there is Penelope

:35:46. > :35:51.their, she is wondering if she has done enough, she knows she has some

:35:52. > :35:58.tough horses to come. This is the one that the crowd will be

:35:59. > :36:06.supporting here. The world number three rider, Olympic gold medallist,

:36:07. > :36:19.Britain's Ben Maher. The horse owned by James Forbes Clark. -- Jane

:36:20. > :36:27.Forbes Clark. The target is 34.05 from Penelope Leprevost. Slightly

:36:28. > :36:41.shorter striding horse at a very quick action. Again, it is nip and

:36:42. > :36:50.tuck. Now, gallop, has two take the chance here. Standing off that oxer,

:36:51. > :36:55.he has got it. Round to the last. He should be able to do it, oh, it is

:36:56. > :37:03.down. He has done the time but he had the last, the fastest of the

:37:04. > :37:07.four faults but that will not be enough. You have to leave the fences

:37:08. > :37:14.up, just a little bit strong and unbalanced into that big oxer, such

:37:15. > :37:25.a shame. Puts him into sixth place at the moment. Let us have a look

:37:26. > :37:34.here, coming down onto the back of the fence. Such a shame. He is in

:37:35. > :37:39.form, no doubt about it, the world number three, will he go and win it

:37:40. > :37:44.again, like he did last year? Penelope is still the one they have

:37:45. > :37:48.to catch. One for America, one Sweden and the last to go for the

:37:49. > :37:58.Netherlands will be Harrie Smolders. McLain Ward now. In great form at

:37:59. > :38:09.Hickstead less than two weeks ago. Rothschild is the 13-year-old. He is

:38:10. > :38:16.up for it, having a go. Time check, this is quicker landed quickly

:38:17. > :38:21.there. Yes, he is going to do the time, no doubt about it, if he jumps

:38:22. > :38:28.these last two fences. So fast across the ground. Yes, easy for

:38:29. > :38:36.McLain Ward. These Americans are flying. America currently first,

:38:37. > :38:41.third and fifth. It is McLain Ward on top of the leaderboard with two

:38:42. > :38:47.to go. A top professional on an experienced horse. They have not

:38:48. > :38:52.just gone into the lead, they have really flown well into the lead,

:38:53. > :38:56.that will take a lot of beating. Shaving every angle and every

:38:57. > :39:02.corner, a horse that is quick in its action and does not waste any time

:39:03. > :39:07.anywhere. This man is a top pro. He is but do not disregard the last

:39:08. > :39:16.two, they are very exciting riders in the world. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson,

:39:17. > :39:22.the Iceman from Sweden. He really has a wonderful temperament. What

:39:23. > :39:26.can he do? The time to beat is 33.22, needs to come out of the

:39:27. > :39:32.combination in something around 16 seconds. Takes a stride out but this

:39:33. > :39:38.horse is hard to manoeuvre around the corners. Not quite as agile, as

:39:39. > :39:46.soon as you put the pace into the movement, the jumps are starting to

:39:47. > :39:50.come down. He is always a try, he has attacked the course and given it

:39:51. > :39:57.a go or stop but it is not happening for him. He won an individual silver

:39:58. > :40:03.at the Beijing games, that was against the clock but it is eight

:40:04. > :40:09.for the great Swedish rider, Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, down to 13th.

:40:10. > :40:15.And there is one left to jump, will it be America or could it be the

:40:16. > :40:25.Netherlands? If anyone can do the time, Harrie Smolders can. You heard

:40:26. > :40:29.it here first! This is a very quick combination if they can leave the

:40:30. > :40:41.fences up. He is great value against the clock. The very talented Dutch

:40:42. > :40:48.rider, Harrie Smolders, the time to beat is still that of McLain Ward,

:40:49. > :41:02.33.22. He will have to fly if he is to beat that. Did not take the

:41:03. > :41:12.stride out, but that is a very tight angle. He is going to need to spin

:41:13. > :41:17.back to the vertical. He is close. What an angle, that is a crazy

:41:18. > :41:23.angle, and now he is going for it. That could put him in front. Coming

:41:24. > :41:32.to the last. He has jumped it, and he has done it, yes, he has. He has

:41:33. > :41:40.done it. 32.71. What did I tell you, what a round. The last to go. Two

:41:41. > :41:44.immaculate turns, the Dutchman Harrie Smolders and this has

:41:45. > :41:51.certainly been world-class competition. It is great when the

:41:52. > :41:56.last writer comes in and annihilates the course. The chances he took were

:41:57. > :42:00.beyond belief, the turn back there was something else but this Horse

:42:01. > :42:07.Guards is not the most stylish but when you get one who tries like

:42:08. > :42:18.that, this is unbelievable. -- this mare. That was a sensational piece

:42:19. > :42:26.of riding. One very happy Dutchman, Harrie Smolders. But what a list

:42:27. > :42:36.behind him. You only have to look at that to realise what a great when it

:42:37. > :42:52.is for him. And Ella the Leprevost did her best. -- Penelope Leprevost.

:42:53. > :43:00.What a tremendous competition, world-class top 12, you really do

:43:01. > :43:05.not see better than that. There you are, the strength and depth we have

:43:06. > :43:10.seen this afternoon. From the best riders in the world, Horse Guards

:43:11. > :43:14.Parade has served this with a great competition and that is the man who

:43:15. > :43:20.has done it, a delighted Harrie Smolders from the Netherlands. We

:43:21. > :43:24.will try and grab a word with him in a moment before he goes out to the

:43:25. > :43:28.prize-giving but what a jump off, it came down to two of the last three

:43:29. > :43:35.riders but first, let us look at McLain Ward, you said Rothschild was

:43:36. > :43:37.difficult yesterday. He did an uncharacteristic move yesterday,

:43:38. > :43:43.getting eliminated for the first time I have ever seen him do. McLain

:43:44. > :43:49.Ward said he thought he had finished and then had to go to the double and

:43:50. > :43:53.pulled up. McLain Ward wanted to get back in there and get his confidence

:43:54. > :43:58.back and put that behind him to be honest. He is such an aggressive and

:43:59. > :44:03.mean looking horse in some ways, he really grits his teeth. He is always

:44:04. > :44:09.like that, unorthodox with his front leg. Then obviously, he came up

:44:10. > :44:16.against Harrie Smolders who was just that little bit faster. That with

:44:17. > :44:22.the target, going clear in 33.22, the last to go was Harrie Smolders

:44:23. > :44:26.from the Netherlands, writing a 14-year-old mare. This was thrilling

:44:27. > :44:32.because they went right from the start, taking strides out and Harrie

:44:33. > :44:37.Smolders is watching this back for the first time, when did you know

:44:38. > :44:46.you were up on the clock? I knew it was fast but I had to add one more

:44:47. > :44:51.to the double but she was also fast to the vertical. That angle was

:44:52. > :44:54.extraordinary. You are taking a chance that you might knock it down

:44:55. > :45:00.but you have to take the chance to win. You want to win or not, you do

:45:01. > :45:08.not want to leave it out there because I know the horse is fast,

:45:09. > :45:13.you just have to do it. A huge grin from you afterwards because it is a

:45:14. > :45:18.good feeling. It is a super feeling, many civil horses and great

:45:19. > :45:20.competitors. Quite a serious class but still 15 clear rounds is a big

:45:21. > :45:35.challenge in No, I have a different or is. We

:45:36. > :45:41.will let Harry get ready for the prize-giving. To see the angle the

:45:42. > :45:46.horses come in from for the last one, you wonder how they can do it.

:45:47. > :45:49.But they are so genuine. Like Harrie Smolders said, the top forces and

:45:50. > :45:54.riders are doing its day in and day out and you can trust them. Ben went

:45:55. > :45:58.to the angle and was trying to get the fastest time at the last came

:45:59. > :46:02.down to you. He jumped great. I had to pick and choose where to go

:46:03. > :46:06.quick. After the second last, he shot to the left and I had to

:46:07. > :46:10.correct him. I thought I was physical enough at the end but had

:46:11. > :46:17.an unlucky touch, very late on the back rail, which is not so common

:46:18. > :46:20.for him. But you need a bit of luck in the jump off as well. This is an

:46:21. > :46:25.interesting stage for you with horses because you are down in

:46:26. > :46:29.numbers of top-class horses. Yes but we are still in a lucky position.

:46:30. > :46:32.This year has been amazing, one of the best horses in the world last

:46:33. > :46:35.year and she has had some great Grand Prix results. Arizona is

:46:36. > :46:40.stepping up to bigger classes and we have a few new ones coming through.

:46:41. > :46:45.-- this one is stepping up. We have to build a team to replace the one

:46:46. > :46:48.or two that were injured or sold. But I'm lucky enough to have ones to

:46:49. > :46:54.bring on and I'm looking forward to the rest of the year. So we will see

:46:55. > :46:58.you tomorrow? Hopefully. We had a training day yesterday and hopefully

:46:59. > :47:02.she is on form for tomorrow. Will you write this evening or tomorrow

:47:03. > :47:07.morning was to mark what do you do between now and then? I was on her

:47:08. > :47:18.this morning at 7am. She was in the ring, cantering. A lot of work

:47:19. > :47:21.today, she would have been hand walked out, taking into the park

:47:22. > :47:24.over the road. Again, early in the morning, there is not a lot of space

:47:25. > :47:27.in London so we have to pick and choose the time but keep her fresh

:47:28. > :47:31.and clean. Hopefully she is wearing to go -- raring to go to my. Is she

:47:32. > :47:35.still wearing nasal strips? It is the comfort blanket. She has added a

:47:36. > :47:38.long time now and I have never ridden her without them. I don't

:47:39. > :47:42.know if she needs them any more but she has shaken her head without them

:47:43. > :47:46.and so if it is not broken, don't fix it. She will be defending the

:47:47. > :47:49.title she won last year. When there's a big crowd like this behind

:47:50. > :47:56.you, can you feel the horses reacting to the audience? Today, he

:47:57. > :48:00.reacted to everything. It is always great to be home jumping. There is a

:48:01. > :48:03.relatively big crowd today. I have heard that they have sold out

:48:04. > :48:07.tomorrow, possibly, so it's great to be in front of a home crowd. I

:48:08. > :48:12.always try to do my best. It brings out the best in me in general, in

:48:13. > :48:16.London. We will all do our best for a home win tomorrow. We will catch

:48:17. > :48:20.up with you then. Good luck. Ben Maher, who made it to the jump off

:48:21. > :48:24.but at the last fence down which means he's not part of the top six

:48:25. > :48:28.who are lining up to the presentation. Let's go back to Mike

:48:29. > :48:32.and Andy. COMMENTATOR: The guests are

:48:33. > :48:36.brilliant joy that, without a doubt. They have every reason to. As we

:48:37. > :48:43.said in comment Terry, you don't see many world-class field appear like

:48:44. > :48:48.that during the season. -- commentary. It is difficult to get

:48:49. > :48:51.same any top horses and riders together in one place. It is obvious

:48:52. > :48:55.that a lot of the riders really wanted to come to London. It is such

:48:56. > :48:59.an amazing, iconic place. And they are here. The jump off today,

:49:00. > :49:07.certainly did not disappoint in any way. Very much so. It is true that

:49:08. > :49:11.there was a lot of talk about what London 2012 was going to leave. To

:49:12. > :49:15.be honest, this afternoon, what we have seen is just part of what

:49:16. > :49:18.London 2012 bid for the sport, not only in this country but right

:49:19. > :49:23.around the world. It is so good to see. -- did for the sport. I am

:49:24. > :49:31.delighted to say that the deputy Mayra Blunden is here -- Maher of

:49:32. > :49:37.London. She will present the trophies.

:49:38. > :49:45.They have given us some great sport. The crowd now stands for the

:49:46. > :49:54.national anthem of the winner, Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands.

:49:55. > :50:39.It was very good to hear Harrie Smolders say how much he enjoyed

:50:40. > :50:48.being here in London and winning in such company. Andy, in the end, we

:50:49. > :50:53.mentioned the deputy mayor coming here to present new order,

:50:54. > :50:56.accompanied by Peter Phillips, the assistant director of the show, who

:50:57. > :51:00.is a much involved in organising big sporting events on both sides of the

:51:01. > :51:06.Atlantic now, and the Lord mail of London who has been very supportive

:51:07. > :51:11.of this, as has the Royal Parks. -- Lord Mayor of London. To do this,

:51:12. > :51:16.you have do have the support of some very busy places, the key parts of

:51:17. > :51:22.London. The logistics behind putting on this show are quite incredible.

:51:23. > :51:25.It is something Jan Tops has always wanted to do, come to London and now

:51:26. > :51:31.we are in the heart of London with this fabulous backdrop. There can be

:51:32. > :51:36.no doubt that Harrie Smolders will be thrilled to see the riders behind

:51:37. > :51:43.him, McLain Ward, one of the very best. The presentation party, just

:51:44. > :51:49.organising themselves to say well done to McLain Ward. A brilliant

:51:50. > :51:55.exhibition of his skills, and then the talents of an LP Leprevost. I

:51:56. > :51:59.don't know the French team for the world but I bet she is on it.

:52:00. > :52:06.Although she did not win today, her round was a joy to watch, fabulous,

:52:07. > :52:11.stylish riding. And Laura Kraut is in fourth. She will not make the

:52:12. > :52:16.American team. They, for me, are the team to take team honours. You will

:52:17. > :52:22.see the world Equestrian games on BBC TV. Laura is being

:52:23. > :52:33.congratulated. And then Doda de Miranda. Brazil, too, have won

:52:34. > :52:36.bronze medals at the top level. There we are. It has been an

:52:37. > :52:39.afternoon to everyone and some great showjumping, that is the shore.

:52:40. > :52:45.Congratulations to Harrie Smolders from the Netherlands in winning the

:52:46. > :52:49.Grand Prix this afternoon. As you can see, not quite a sell-out

:52:50. > :52:52.for this event but a lot of the popularity comes with people getting

:52:53. > :52:57.used to the day and the venue. This is the first time it has been held

:52:58. > :53:00.at horse guards parade. Last time the Global Champions Tour came to

:53:01. > :53:03.London, the first time, it was on the fringes of the Olympic park and

:53:04. > :53:08.it provided us with an Olympic jump off.

:53:09. > :53:12.COMMENTATOR: There will be a few million jockeys watching this around

:53:13. > :53:19.Great Britain and riding this with Nick Skelton. A big star and this is

:53:20. > :53:24.a real target for this combination, can they do it? 31.86, needs to be

:53:25. > :53:25.out of the combination in 15 seconds or under and away from the second

:53:26. > :53:46.last before 26. Good luck. He is fast enough, here. He has to

:53:47. > :53:52.take the chance to the last fence. Oh, he is a long way off and he has

:53:53. > :54:02.jumped it! What ability. Is half a second up. go, go. He has done it!

:54:03. > :54:11.0.01 second information not what about that! That is amazing -- zero

:54:12. > :54:16..01 seconds! He can't believe it, 100th of a second. Is justice going

:54:17. > :54:19.to be served at Stratford this afternoon? They were the best

:54:20. > :54:25.combination in the Olympics last year in Greenwich. Could this be the

:54:26. > :54:29.afternoon? The owners and the winners censored. They are going to

:54:30. > :54:32.have to sit tight. He has got the sash on already and he is going to

:54:33. > :54:38.have do take it off and give it to Nick Skelton. That will be a lot of

:54:39. > :54:42.money. If he came here this -- you came here this afternoon wanting

:54:43. > :54:45.drama, you are getting it. This competition has lived up to all

:54:46. > :54:47.expectations and it is not over yet because this man will give it 200%,

:54:48. > :55:13.Ben Maher. Taking no prisoners. He is

:55:14. > :55:22.absolutely motoring. He's up. Quick enough to win it. Out of here in

:55:23. > :55:29.about 25.5. He has to take a stride out to the last. He is. He can do

:55:30. > :55:35.it. If he jumps the last, I think he's done it! He has! He has taken a

:55:36. > :55:41.second off the time. That is astonishing. A disappointed Nick

:55:42. > :55:46.Skelton but it is a superb British one-two this afternoon. And the

:55:47. > :55:54.London Olympics is repeated in Stratford in style by the British

:55:55. > :55:58.gold medal team. The crowd standing, and so they should be. That was a

:55:59. > :56:05.world-class performance from Ben Maher.

:56:06. > :56:11.And he will be back with the Grey Mare tomorrow. I showed you the nose

:56:12. > :56:18.cover. A bit unfair to show you that again. I'm really sorry. But more

:56:19. > :56:22.painful because Big Star is injured and you can't come back to try to

:56:23. > :56:26.beat him tomorrow. But hopefully he will be OK and we will get back the

:56:27. > :56:30.next year. We could make it if everything is right. We will have

:56:31. > :56:34.another go. Preparations being made to the arena so the riders can give

:56:35. > :56:39.the Grand Prix horse is a bit of exercise. Space is limited, as Ben

:56:40. > :56:42.Stead but they are quite good with the exercise times, so the lads can

:56:43. > :56:46.get the horses out and work them for tomorrow and ride them again in the

:56:47. > :56:53.morning. They do a great job, here. In such a small area. It is great.

:56:54. > :56:56.They must have fantastic temperaments, show-jumpers, to

:56:57. > :57:01.travel around the world, turn up in Shanghai, Doha, Madrid or London.

:57:02. > :57:07.They are very well travelled. They are used to it. Like you say, they

:57:08. > :57:12.fly to Shanghai, Madrid, wherever they have to go on the world tour

:57:13. > :57:15.circuit. But they are seasoned horses and the temperaments are

:57:16. > :57:19.normally very good which is why they end up being really good. Let's

:57:20. > :57:22.hope. We have a jump off tomorrow like we did today, Harrie Smolders

:57:23. > :57:28.coming out on top in the Netherlands. We will be back at

:57:29. > :57:32.5:15pm tomorrow. Coverage until 7pm. It is the London leg of the Longines

:57:33. > :57:37.Global Champions Tour. Two rounds and then a jumble. It should be

:57:38. > :57:41.sensational. Also this evening, we are going to the European

:57:42. > :57:47.Championships in direct from 5:30pm. The men's and women's 200 metres,

:57:48. > :57:51.and the 400 metres for men and women, with Christine Ohuruogo in

:57:52. > :57:55.action. It should be a superb evening of entertainment. But this

:57:56. > :57:58.has been good and great to have a second class which makes you more

:57:59. > :58:02.excited about tomorrow and gives you a chance to hear from the riders and

:58:03. > :58:05.see how they are getting on. It has been a great com petition, really

:58:06. > :58:10.exciting. Looking forward to tomorrow. I think it will be even

:58:11. > :58:19.better. Who would be your leading contenders tomorrow? Rob is going

:58:20. > :58:24.really well. Don't count out Scott on home ground. The same with Ben. I

:58:25. > :58:29.think we will get a really good class. All the Global Champions Tour

:58:30. > :58:33.legs so far have been really exciting. I can't see why this would

:58:34. > :58:37.be any different. Talking to a lot of the riders, I asked who was the

:58:38. > :58:42.best in the world, and they all said Scott Brash. The man from Scotland

:58:43. > :58:45.will be riding tomorrow. Join us from 5:15pm. We will leave you with

:58:46. > :58:47.the best of the showjumping action today.