Robert crowned champion in Qatar's GCT 

(MENAFN - The Peninsula) Michel Robert was crowned the champion of the Global Champions Tour (GCT) Final at the Qatar Equestrian Federation's (QEF) main arena late on Saturday night.

The Frenchman rode Kellemoi de Pepita round the Qatar course in 49.76 seconds to finish ahead of Belgium's Jos Lansink on Valentina van't Heike in second.

Brazil's Alvaro de Miranda, riding AD Picolien Zeldenrust, finished in 46.52 secs but received a four-point penalty leaving him with bronze.

The 18 riders who had qualified for the GCT Final were in no doubt, from the moment they started to walk the course that they would have to work hard to win the biggest prize in show jumping.

Conrad Homfeld built a course that was every inch worthy of a set of riders who could probably lay claim to every major show jumping title between them. To honour the occasion, in addition to the Euro 900,000 total prize money on offer there was also an original sculpture of an Arabian horse's head covered in gold and worth 8,000 Euro donated by Doha's international jeweller Kanz, who make bespoke pieces of jewelled art.

The managing director of Kanz, Ohan Assadourian personally crafted the unique piece.

So with all this to play for, and a set of monster obstacles to be negotiated in the huge circular arena, no-body was expecting many clear rounds and in the end the double at four and the combination at 13 ensured that in the end only four riders finished the first round on zero.

The double saw the competition end for Edwina Alexander(Isovlas Itot du Chateau), Rolf Goran Bengsston (Ninja Le Silla), Marco Kutscher (Cornet Obolensky and Bernardo Alves (Chupa Chup). The combination proved the undoing of Robert Whitaker (Casino), Rodrigo Pessoa (Champ), Daniel Deusser (AD Aboyeur) and Albert Zoer (Oki Doki).

The first man to clear everything was Germany's Ulrich Kirchoff who made it look easy on Carino and he was swiftly followed by Alvaro de Miranda Neto with AD Picolien Zeldenrust. Michel Robert looked every inch a former World Champion when Kellemoi de Pepita sailed round and then the jump off was completed with the current World Champion as Jos Lansink (Valentina Van T' Heike) reminded everyone his absence from the European Championships this year was just a tiny blip in his outstanding career.

In the jump off both Ulrich and Alvaro faulted which meant the Frenchman new he couldn't be worse off than second if he remained clear which he did and not slowly either! His mare went through the gate in 49.76 and despite an excellent try Jos Lansink could not catch him.

"In Valkenswaard I said it was polite to let the ladies win, but here I was not a gentleman" laughed Michel as he collected his cheque for Euro 300,000.