On Sunday, July 21, thirty-six couples were taking the start at the Rolex Grand Prix Ville de Dinard, a 1.60m jump-off event that is part of the Rolex Series. Jean-François Morand designed a course of fourteen obstacles and seventeen jumps on the sublime Val Porée grass course. In the end, six couples qualified for the final jump-off.
It was Kevin Staut (Rolex Testimonee) who delivered an amazing victory to France with a breathtaking performance and one of the four double clear rounds, crossing the finish line in 41.41 seconds. Swiss rider Steve Guerdat completed the podium with Venard de Cerisy, ahead of 2023 winner Max Kühner and Eic Cooley Jump The Q.
In tenth position to start in the first round, Swiss rider Steve Guerdat (Rolex Testimonee) riding Venard de Cerisy was the first to master Jean-François Morand's extraordinary course. Five other riders also produced a top-level performance on the course. Qualifiers for the jump-off included Nicolas Delmotte, cheered on by the French public, as well as Max Kühner, Lorenzo De Luca and Kevin Staut.
On their return to the track, Steve Guerdat put pressure on his rivals with a clear round in 42.44 seconds. Max Kühner, the title holder, was not to be denied, but unfortunately, his performance in 43.61 seconds prevented him from taking the lead in the provisional rankings. The crowd went wild when Frenchman Nicolas Delmotte put in a smooth prestation, but unfortunately, his time wasn't enough to put him in the lead. He now sits in third place in the provisional rankings.
Victory seemed assured for Steve Guerdat, until the French rider Kevin Staut produced a perfectly executed clear round on Beau de Laubry Z in 41.41 seconds. They beat the time by just one second, winning the Rolex Grand Prix Ville de Dinard. They have now added their names to the Rolex Series list of winners. Federico Fernandez and Lorenzo De Luca finished their rounds with four faults.
Kevin Staut and Beau de Laubry Z - Sportfot for Rolex Series
I am thrilled to have finally won this Grand Prix after 15-20 attempts without success, especially given the extraordinary level of competition. It's a special pleasure because it's close to my stables, and my owners were present today. Thanks to the Rolex Series, we have something solid and concrete, with strong foundations for the sport. Being part of the Rolex Series is a mark of quality and it brings an extra dimension to our sport.
I'm very happy with Eic Cooley Jump The Q's performance today. Of course, I would have liked to place first, but I'm really happy to be here. It's really a lovely place, with a very special arena. My horses really enjoy the grass course, I have one at home and you can really feel the difference when the horses move properly on grass.
Starting first is always a challenge, especially with a horse as fast as Venard de Cerisy, whom I know inside and out. I risked everything today, but when we got to the third jump, I felt that he lacked a little touch of the craziness that’s necessary to get us to the victory. It's a bit disappointing not to have won this Rolex Grand Prix yet, but the horse was great and did everything I asked of him. My loyalty to Rolex and the Rolex Series is strong. It's great for our sport, especially for shows that already are prestigious and can grow even more. The series will bring a lot to the organizers. For us riders, nothing really changes since these competitions are already top-level, but it's great for the fans and the media.
The Rolex Series now heads to Ireland for the RDS Dublin Horse Show, which runs from August 15 to 18. The highlight will be the Rolex Grand Prix of Dublin, scheduled for the Sunday afternoon. The world's greatest riders and horses will compete for another shot at the Rolex Series title.
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