BARCELONA, Spain--Alex Matz on Ikiigai finished a close second to Scott Brash of Great Britain on Hello Folie in the CSIO5* 1.60m Grand Prix of the City of Barcelona at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona on Friday evening, Oct. 3.

Alex Matz Matz was only beaten by eight-tenths of a second by Brash, who had the advantage of going last in round two,

From a field of 38, the top 12 qualified for round two, with six of those going clean again.

Nine of those advancing to round two were on a score of zero, along with the three fastest four-faulters.

With riders going in reverse order of their times finishing round one, Matz returned sixth of the 12 in the speed round, and he finished in the fast time of 52.50 to hold the lead untli the very last to go. Brash, on his individual and team Olympic silver medal mount Hello Folie, who finished in 52.12 for the win. 

Piergiorgio Bucci of Italy on Kiss Me Fabulesse finished third in 53.77, with Megane Moissonnier of France on Crooner Tame fourth in 55.37, followed by Antoine Ermann of France on Floyd des Pres fifth in 56.86, with host nation Span’s Alberto Marquez Galobardes on Kelly sixth.

 

"IT WAS tremendous," said chef d'equipe Robert Ridland. "He went stxth in the order and just tore around the course. He was sensational."

"Scott, who is one of the best riders in the world on a super fast horse just beat him by fractions," said Ridland. "He rode so well."

The League of Nations Final Nations Cup will be contested Sunday, starting at 6 a.m. Eastern time. 

The U.S.team of Laura Kraut on Bisquetta, Allessandra Volpi on Gypsy Love, Callie Shott on Garant and Karl Cook on Caracole de la Roque goes  fourth of the nine teams, eight of which qualified through the previous four Nations Cup along with the host country, Spain.