April 6, 2026 
The sounds of the ocean have long been thought to create a kind of calming effect on humans—whether drifting off to sleep, allowing for inner reflection during mediation, or enhancing a sense of connection with the natural world. For Germany’s Katrin Eckermann, however, the sound of the surf lapping against the shore means just one thing: It’s go time.
And ‘go’ Eckermann certainly did in the 13-horse jump-off on April 5th aboard Iron Dames Dialou Blue PS, earning herself a historic third win in the LGCT Grand Prix of Miami Beach.
The German rider—who previously won this event in 2022 and 2023 with Iron Dames Cala Mandia NRW—once again came to play on Sunday. This time, Eckermann defeated 35 other combinations to take top prize on Course Designer Peter Grant’s (CAN) technical track, which featured tight lines and a host of delicate fences that, particularly in the jump-round, demanded special care.
“I am unbelievably proud of [Iron Dames Dialou Blue PS], she jumped super,” Eckermann said. “I didn’t have a chance to watch any of the riders before me, so I had to ride off my feeling. I knew it was quick, but I wasn’t sure if we had done enough.”
Third to return for the shortened course, Italy’s Piergiorgio Bucci set a new time to beat with Pallieter vd N. Ranch on 46.06 seconds, finishing third just ahead of Maikel van der Vleuten’s first double-clear effort of the day with Beauville Z N.O.P. (46.85 seconds). Then came Eckermann and the ground-covering 13-year-old OS mare, who pulled out all the stops—including an aggressive slice to an inside turn at Jump 10—to stop the clock at a victorious 44.15 seconds.
Pieter Devos and Primo DV and Cian O’Connor with Kentucky TN were among the next riders out of the gate who earned clears, but were not quite fast enough to take over the lead. Then came Great Britain’s Jack Whitaker with Izara des Dames. The pair’s lovely, smooth, jump-off effort was rewarded with a time of 45.68 seconds and a career-high second-place in a 5* LGCT Grand Prix.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, this is a big one for me—it feels amazing to be back up there,” Whitaker said, adding how proud he was of his horse, a 12-year-old SBS mare by Emerald. “She is a bit inexperienced at this level, so I wasn’t sure how she would handle it.
“In the jump-off, I took an outside turn to give her time, but it just shows her class that she was able to almost match Katrin’s time.”
Paired together for over a year, this is the first 5* Grand Prix win and podium finish for Eckermann and Iron Dames Dialou Blue PS, a former Kevin Staut (FRA) ride who currently jumps clear at 32% in 19 rounds at 1.60m+, according to Jumpr Stats, but finishes on the podium 67% of the time in three jump-off rounds at the same height.
As for her incredible hat trick of wins in Miami Beach (an event that took a year off from the LGCT calendar in 2025) Eckermann couldn’t help but appreciate not only her continued success at the venue, but the unique setting which never fails to impress.
“Welcome to Miami! This show is just incredible—to jump here next to the ocean, you can’t beat this backdrop,” she said. “It’s certainly great to be here and get some sun outside of Germany.”
