Teams battle to make history in first GCL final

Valkenswaard United, consisting of Great Britain’s John Whitaker and Ireland’s Bertram Allen, are in pole position to win the inaugural Global Champions League title in Doha on Thursday.The duo have proved formidable in the debut GCL season and have a total tally of 309.5 points going into the final.They will unite once more, with an incredible three of the team’s four wins (Miami Beach, Hamburg and Vienna) under their belts already. Despite more than 40 years between them in age, John and Bertram have solidified their partnership and friendship, with the men of few words winning hearts around the globe.Talking about the forthcoming competition Allen said, “The GCL final will be really intense. I’ll be teaming up with John [Whitaker] again for Valkenswaard United, and as I’ve said before, it’s a real honour and privilege to be competing on the same team as him. He’s a legend and it’s not something I’d ever have had the opportunity to do without the League. We’ll be going into the final to win, and are bringing our top horses to help give us the best chance. We’ll be giving it our all.”Fierce rivals and looking to knock the closest big threat off the top spot are the Antwerp Diamonds, who will also field a combination of experience and youth. Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands, an anchor for the team, will team up with Belgian protege Jos Verlooy.Smolders has trained Verlooy since the latter was three.The pair have also had strong results this season, with both frequenting the podium multiple times throughout the year, and Verlooy contributing to the only home win of the year to date, in Antwerp. While Verlooy and Allen remain firm friends outside the arena, rivalry is intense between the two young talents, and it will be a high stakes battle as the final round plays out.Hot on their heels, and just 1.5 points behind in third, are the Monaco Aces, who are also in contention for the overall win. Maikel van der Vleuten of the Netherlands and Colombian Daniel Bluman – both of whom competed at this year’s Rio Olympics – will team up to add to their overall tally of 299.5 points. Similarly, the Rome Gladiators, who currently hold 4th place overall, will unite ‘Team Laura’ once more, with the Madrid GCL-winning combination of American Laura Kraut and Britain’s Laura Renwick in force for the final.While it looks to be a four-horse race to the finish, the teams will be jostling up and down the rankings to set the order in what’s been a phenomenal debut for the innovative new format.Home team, Doha Fursan Qatar, will bring together Olympic rider Ali Yousef al-Rumaihi and young talent Hamad al-Attiyah to compete in front of a home crowd, with the magnificent Al Shaqab, a member of Qatar Foundation, the perfect backdrop to the exhilarating final.Al Shaqab was established as part of HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani’s vision and passion to preserve and perpetuate the Arabian horse in Qatar. It has since developed into a major international equestrian facility encompassing multiple equine disciplines.Al Shaqab will be the impressive final stage of both the 2016 individual Longines Global Champions Tour and the Global Champions League team competition – a fitting position for this top quality, cutting-edge venue.With the overall rankings on a knife edge and a four-way battle for the title, it’s time to see who will write history as the first ever winners of the Global Champions League, and take the lion’s share of the €4.5 million bonus prize money.Also in action will be Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson and Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts for the Paris Jets. Frenchman Roger-Yves Bost will team up with Germany’s Marco Kutscher for the Cannes Stars, and Brit rider Scott Brash will join forces with U25 rider Jessica Mendoza for the Miami Glory team. Another winning combination will be back in action, with the Vienna Eagles combining Lauren Hough with Danielle Goldstein.Fresh from their recent successes, Madrid in Motion will field Italy’s Alberto Zorzi and Spain’s Gonzalo Anon Suarez, both of whom have contributed to the team’s two wins this season. Cascais Charms winning rider Andreas Kreuzer of Germany will return once more to compete with compatriot Philip Houston, and the Shanghai Swans will see another winning rider, Janne-Friederike Meyer return alongside Alexandra Thornton for the final round of action.With the final round of the 2016 season the opener for the weekend in Doha, all eyes will be on the combinations as they take centre stage on Thursday.Team standings1. Valkenswaard United309.52. Antwerp Diamonds3013. Monaco Aces299.54. Rome Gladiators281.55. Cannes Stars2476. Paris Jets242.57. Shanghai Swans2418. Cascais Charms231.59. Doha Fursan Qatar23110. Madrid in Motion23011. Miami Glory22912. Vienna Eagles224.5TEAMS AND RIDERS for Doha legValkenswaard UnitedJohn Whitaker, Bertram AllenAntwerp DiamondsHarrie Smolders, Jos VerlooyMonaco AcesMaikel van der Vleuten, Daniel BlumanRome GladiatorsLaura Kraut, Laura Renwick Cannes StarsRoger-Yves Bost, Marco KutscherParis JetsRolf-Goran Bengtsson, Nicola PhilippaertsShanghai SwansJanne-Friederike Meyer, Alexandra ThorntonCascais CharmsAndreas Kreuzer, Philip HoustonDoha Fursan QatarAli Yousef al-Rumaihi, Hamad al-AttiyahMadrid in MotionAlberto Zorzi, Gonzalo Anon SuarezMiami GloryScott Brash, Jessica MendozaVienna EaglesLauren Hough, Danielle Goldstein