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Edwina given all clear after fall in Global Champions Tour

A fall from her steed Cevo Socrates saw Edwina taken to hospital with a slight concussion and suspected broken wrist.

Equestrian Australia’s National Performance Director for Jumping, Stephen Lamb, said he spoke with Edwina’s parents and she is OK.

“Edwina’s parents confirmed she was taken hospital and they thought she may have a broken wrist but it all checked out OK and she should be out later in the day,” he said.

Edwina’s consistent performance throughout the GCT has allowed her to maintain the lead and has the rest of the pack chasing the world’s best ranked female jumping rider.

Highlights from the fourth round Global Champions Tour

Copy courtesy of GCT website – www.globalchampionstour.com

Triumphant Olivier Guillon said the experience of his horse Lord de Theize made all the difference in beating champion rider Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum in the Grand Prix jump off today.

Olivier admitted he would not have beaten German rider Meredith in the final speed test of the €285,000 Global Champions Tour Grand Prix if she had been riding her star horse Shutterfly, who retired last year.

Speaking at the press conference at the end of the first GCT in Wiesbaden, Germany, Olivier said: “I was lucky to go second in the jump-off. I saw Meredith in the ring and her mare is young and that was good for me today. If it had been Shutterfly it would be different.”

GCT President Jan Tops said the GCT series in 2012 is shaping up to be highly competitive with different riders on the podium at each show making the race for the overall championship in November a thriller.

Cheered on by a big home crowd of around 20,000 spectators at the stunning Schlosspark arena, Meredith had jumped clear in 57.72 in the first big test for her big-striding young mare Bella Donna.

But Olivier piloted his French gelding smoothly over the Longines oxer to finish in 55.59, his first GCT Grand Prix victory with a first prize of €94,050. He said a lot of riders had difficulty with the line to the triple combination, which resulted in some of the biggest stars in show jumping clocking up faults.

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Results after round 4

1.      Edwina Tops-Alexander                 96points

2.      Marcus Ehning                                 82

3.      Gregory Wathelet                           77

4.      Richard Spooner                              75

5.      Sergio Alvarez Moya                       71

6.      Ben Maher                                        71