Photos: Stefano Grasso / LGCT
Denis Lynch (IRL) took the win in
tonight’s Prix E.Leclerc 1.55m CSI5* competition after a
superb round and jump-off with his 13 year old bay stallion
All Star 5. Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) claimed second
place with VDL Groep Quatro and Germany's Daniel Deusser
(GER) continued his run of good form with stallion Hidalgo
VG to finish in third.
The second day of competition for the Longines Global
Champions Tour of Cannes culminated in this evening’s class
as 47 world class riders took centre stage in the floodlit
arena, with fans and VIPs including Bruce and Patti
Springsteen - who are currently on a world tour - watching
on as the class unfolded. The first round was a challenging
course set by Uliano Vezzani, which set the precedent for
the rest of the show, and the big delicate track giving
opportunities for fences down all over the course. Sustained
accuracy and control all the way around were the themes of
the evening, with a committed half stride to the last an
option for the brave.
Just four went through to the jump-off, and with over 60,000
euros on offer the scene was set for an intense final round
of fast paced competition.
First to go was home rider Julien Epaillard (FRA) with
Cristallo A LM, with the local crowd’s hopes resting on this
brilliant combination. They were quick throughout, but a
fence down put them on four faults. Next up was Maikel van
der Vleuten (NED) and VDL Groep Quatro, who crossed the line
in 35.30s. Daniel Deusser (GER) and his stallion Hidalgo VG
also jumped clear, but were a touch slower than the Dutch
rider, riding a little wide to the final fence and crossing
the line in 36.07s. Last to go was Ireland’s Denis Lynch
with All Star 5, who set off with intent, galloping to the
first two fences to make up time and kept up the tempo
throughout the course, crossing the line in 34.93s and
coasting home.
Earlier today, Ben Maher (GBR) wiped the floor with the
opposition after a stunning win in the CSI5* Prix Constance
Prince Maurice Trophée MTPA comtant pour Generali FFE French
Tour. As the picture perfect sunshine started to give way to
twilight, Ben and his fiery chestnut gelding Aristo Z
cleared the field by a full three seconds in the 1.45m
class, which fielded 72 starters with many of the top riders
competing with two horses.
Following the galloping grass arenas of Mexico City,
Hamburg, Madrid and Chantilly, the leading horse and rider
combinations were faced with a new challenge with the
intimate LGCT Cannes sand arena, measuring 75m x 55m in
total, best suited to horses quick on their feet and agile
in their turns. Ben and Aristo Z have performed well here in
the past, with the pair well suited to fast sand arenas and
winning classes at every edition of the LGCT Cannes show
they've competed in over the years.
Uliano Vezzani’s 1.45m course made full use of the arena,
with opportunities for tight cut-backs, and enough space to
pick up a galloping pace between fences. The liverpool
caused a few problems for many of the world class
combinations, as did the final fence - a light vertical
which caught many off guard as they galloped for home.
Pius Schwizer (SUI) and Balou Rubin R took second place,
with the bigger striding 9 year old dark bay gelding unable
to match the pace of Ben’s Aristo. Compatriot Jane Richard
Philips (SUI) took a strong third with Dieudonne de
Guldenboom, and Laura Kraut (USA) took fourth with her young
9 year old grey Confu. Audrey Coulter (USA) was just tenths
of a second behind in 5th with Alex, and Maikel van der
Vleuten (NED) rounded out the top six with his 11 year old
bay mare VDL Groep Arera C. But it was Ben who masterfully
guided his hot chestnut gelding around the course, making
full use of Aristo’s speed and scope to jump clear in an
impressive 52.62s and claiming the lion’s share of the prize
money.
Tomorrow will see the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand
Prix of Cannes take place at 17:30 local time, shortly
followed by the Global Champions League of Cannes which
kicks off at 22:00 local time. The LGCT Grand Prix of Cannes
will be broadcast live from the second round on Eurosport,
and all the action can be followed via the GCT TV and GCL TV
live streaming platforms.
For all the information about the LGCT Cannes, including a
show schedule, please click
here. For a full rider list, please click
here.