Reigning Olympic champions Christian Kukuk and Checker 47 got here to London on “firey” type and celebrated the anniversary of their Paris triumph with a victory within the €165,000 Longines World Champions Tour grand prix on Sunday 10 August.
Hopes of a seventh British win have been hovering when Ben Maher laid down a poetically fluid spherical on Level Break, that axed an intimidating 6sec from the main clear, from Belgian’s Niels Bruynseels (Chacco’s Lando OL).
However whereas Ben’s spherical was like mercury poured down a maze, Christian’s scythed the strains with mathematical precision, and the good 15-year-old gray used his superior scope to return house with 0.38sec in hand.
“Now I see the playback [see video below], it was most likely a once-in-a-lifetime bounce off,” Christian stated. “I turned to the third final vertical and the second I made a decision to do it, I informed myself for a second ‘you’ll be able to’t’. I used to be on a lot of an angle, the best way he jumped it — I consider all of the horses on this planet, solely Checker might cope with this example. And it’s the place I gained the bounce off no query.
“He’s naturally a fast horse however the spherical from Ben was so quick, I knew it needed to be the spherical of a lifetime at this time to beat him.”
Christian Kukuk:“Emotionally, it was a tough few weeks”
The win got here every week after Christian introduced a brand new chapter in his profession, organising on his personal after 13 years based mostly with Ludger Beerbaum.
“Emotionally, it was a tough few weeks,” he stated.
Ben had his personal gremlins to wrestle with, having taken some danger methods that didn’t come to fruition with Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s 11-year-old, together with on this yr’s Rolex grand prix at Royal Windsor.
“I knew I’d tousled a few jump-offs on him making an attempt to do issues that maybe weren’t taking part in to my strengths, so I knew I needed to take a number of dangers at this time but it surely was calculated danger,” he stated.
“If I attempt to push him out of his rhythm he doesn’t prefer it in the meanwhile however I believe it can come a bit later. Fortunately he’s like a rubber ball, and he can flip, so I attempt to play to his strengths.”
His spherical was close to perfection — and will have been unbeatable, had it not been for a heavy slip after the second fence.
“I don’t say it fairly often, however as a rider I don’t assume I might have executed something in another way,” he stated. “Once I turned again, I noticed one much less stride to the double however as I went to step away he misplaced his footing behind, which was fairly vital, having watched the replay.
“I needed to alter the road and jog out to the correct hand facet, which was time consuming however I don’t assume it was jumpable on what I used to be dedicated to earlier than the slip.”
Final yr’s victors within the Longines World Champions Tour of London, Harry Charles and Sherlock have been the one different Brits to hitch Ben within the jump-off, they usually tipped the penultimate oxer, crossing the road greater than 4sec behind the profitable tempo for ninth.
You may learn the total report from the Longines World Champions Tour of London in subsequent week’s Horse & Hound journal, within the outlets Thursday 14 August.
You might also be fascinated by:
Christian Kukuk and Checker 47, pictured on the 2024 Paris Olympic Video games the place they gained particular person gold.
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Christian Kukuk’s groom Sofie Karlsson with Checker 47.
Credit score: Rolex Grand Slam / Sofya Khizhik
Laura Kraut and Bisquetta win the 2025 Dublin grand prix.
Credit score: image courtesy of Rolex
Credit score: 1st Class Photographs
Frank Schuttert snaps a selfie together with his team-mates, chef d’equipe Wout-Jan van der Schans and present director Fiona Sheridan after the Netherlands’ victory within the 2025 Dublin Nations Cup.
Credit score: Pippa Roome
Credit score: Future
Keep in contact with all of the information within the run-up to and all through the foremost reveals and occasions throughout 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe at this time for all you could know forward of those main occasions, plus on-line reviews on the motion because it occurs from our professional workforce of reporters and in-depth evaluation in our particular commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Arrange your limitless web site entry now
H&H showjumping editor
Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her position as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the globe reporting from reveals and interviewing riders, connections and people concerned behind the scenes. Since becoming a member of H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on each topic throughout the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to secure administration — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She additionally has first-hand expertise of working within the equestrian business as a driving teacher and yard supervisor.
