He is only 23 years old and the youngest in the youngest team that competed for the 1.5 million Victory Prize in the Super Cup Final of the Global Champions League in Prague. Edouard Schmitz, as the last rider of the evening on Gamin van't Naastveldhof (by Chacco Chacco), not only had to stay clear, but also had to push the pace to secure the overall victory for his Miami Celtics. And the young Swiss rider delivered: 12 faults by his team against 12 faults by the competitors, team time 190.98 seconds against 196.69 seconds.
Together with 27-year-old Bertram Allen on Pacino Amiro (by Pacino) and 26-year-old Michael G Duffy on Clitschko (by Christian), Edouard Schmitz relegated the veterans from Valkenswaard United and Shanghai Swans to the other podium places.
The final of the six best teams that had qualified in the quarter-finals on Thursday and in the semifinals on Friday started with a real damper for the team that had won the Global Champions League final in Riyadh at the beginning of November: The Berlin Eagles started with pole clatter. Starting rider Ludger Beerbaum collected an unusual 12 points in the first round with Mila (by Monte Bellini). Christian Kukuk and Mumbai only made a slight mistake in round one, but Philipp Weishaupt also let two poles roll into the sand with Coby (by Contagio). 24 faults in the first round, there was no chance of winning. But in the second round Ludger Beerbaum and Christian Kukuk were clear, Philipp Weishaupt added another fault - but in the end this meant fourth place and 500,000 Euros for the team.
The first three places were decided by others. The fact that the Shanghai Swans, who were the favourites for many, ended up third instead of first, was not due to Christian Ahlmann. Riding Dominator 2000 Z (by Diamant de Semilly), he produced two perfect clear rounds in front of his trembling partner Judy Ann Melchior. After him, Max Kühner on Elektric Blue P (by Eldorado by Zeshoek) also came out of round one with a clean slate - but then: In the second round he suddenly had the poles hit the sand three times. Martin Fuchs made one mistake with Leone Jei (by Baltic VDL) in the first round, but stayed clear in the second. But a total of 16 faults was too many for a victory.
At the Valkenswaard United it was the other way round: In round one Marcus Ehning on Priam du Roset (by Plot Blue) finished with four points just like André Thieme on DSP Chakaria (by Chap) after him. Only for legend and final rider John Whitaker with Equine America Unick de Francport (by Zandor) did everything remain in the editions. Eight faults, that was only third place for the time being, but there was still a second round. There, at the penultimate jump, the wave plank, Priam du Roset touched his hind hoof so lightly that Marcus Ehning turned around in total disbelief at the end: Really a mistake? But André Thieme subsequently remained zero in the second round and John Whitaker even shone with double zero - suddenly everything was possible again.
Because the last team, the Miami Celtics, had only brought home four points from round one, but then Michael Duffy rattled twice in round two and suddenly the young team had the same twelve points on the scoreboard as the veterans. Everything hung on the final rider Edouard Schmitz.
His good nerves and the quality of his horse secured first place ahead of the Valkenswaard United - which meant in prize money: 1.5 million for the Miami Celtics, 1.2 million for the Valkenswaard United team, which in his usual stoic manner only elicited a short shrug of the shoulders from John Whitaker.
