Alvaro De Miranda and Drossel Dan Triumphant: First Leg of Global Champions Tour

18 heavyweight show jumping rivals progressed to the second round of the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix with only three jumping double clear.

Brazilian Alvaro de Miranda Neto (alias Doda) riding the scopey AD Ashleigh Drossel Dan was first to go on the shortened, technical track.  They produced a sensationally fast clear jump-off round in 42.53 placing pressure on German rider Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Swiss rider Pius Schwizer.

A capacity crowd were willing the 18 year old Shutterfly and his German rider to victory however a rail down at a vertical four fences from home meant second place at best.

Schwizer riding Carlina looked up on time around the first part of the track, however felled a fence as they approached home, allowing Doda to breathe a sigh of relief from the ‘kiss and cry’ stand. This was the first Global Champions Tour victory for Doda who has been at every event since it started in 2006.

Pius Schwizer placed second and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum took out third place.

After such a successful event, the Global Champions Tour President Jan Tops confirmed that Qatar would be hosting the first leg of the championship next year too.

When asked about the 2011 Global Champions Tour starting in Qatar, he commented, "It was very good to have the first leg of the tour here in the Gulf and to be able to finish the 2011 Global champions Tour in Abu Dhabi.  Five years ago I began the series and I have seen such good development.  I thought after the first day of jumping here that the horses couldn’t get any better.  But today they surpassed expectations.  The first round was incredibly difficult and the second very tough.  The sport has reached a very big level. The course today was more difficult than the first round of the World Championships."

Winner Alvaro de Miranda Neto (alias Doda) said, "thanks to everyone at GCT for all the work they have done to bring our sport to such a level.  This is the first win for me in a Global Champions Tour and it is very hard to get to the podium with such great riders in the likes of Meredith and Pius.  I am happy to start the GCT 2011 season on a win.  About the horse; This is the best horse I have had in my life, and he makes our lives good to have him in our stables.  He has all the talent in the world and if you ride him well he will go well."

Second place-getter, Pius Schwizer, was full of praise for Qatar, "I have really enjoyed coming to this city of Doha. The stabling facilities were of the highest level with the horses having air conditioned big boxes which meant that they could have plenty of good rest in order to be in peak condition to compete."

While Meridith Michaels-Beerbaum was delighted with her horse, saying of Shutterfly, "he is an eighteen year old and he jumped so well and I am very pleased with him.  He is part of the family and it is a privilege to be able to ride such a horse.  The second round was one of the hardest tracks that we have ever ridden.  I appreciated Doda’s performance and the way he put pressure on us; it was fast run by Doda!"