This second day of competition, organized by the Jiva Hill Stables teams, featured the amateurs in the CDIam, followed by the couples of the CDI2*, young riders aged 16 to 25, while the CDI3* riders competed in their Grand Prix, highlight of the program.
(Crédit : Photos Les Garennes)
CDIam, The Emirates’ anthem resounds in Crozet
In the difficult Intermediate 1 test that opened Friday’s competition, Natalie Tania Joanna Lankester (UAE) made the United Arab Emirates’ anthem resound with her 67.059% performance at the controls of her 16-year-old gelding KWPN Cash DXB (born Carolus), a son of Hexagon’s Rubiquil, who had already come close to victory in the musical free ride at Deauville on July 15 when he had just joined her stables. She is ahead of Germany’s Cindy Molls, 1st and 2nd in yesterday’s Prix Saint Georges, and again in the limelight this morning with her mare Heaven Sent TCS (67%). In 3rd place, with her 9-year-old Westphalian gelding Van Holli (66.500%), was Virginia Lundin (SUI), wife of Ian Lundin, founder of Jiva Hill Stables, whose acronym, which means “life” in Sanskrit, corresponds to the initials of his daughter Jenna, himself, his wife Virginia and his son Axel.
CDI2*, Germany confirms its supremacy
Intermediate B test was won by Germany, decidedly in a strong position since the start of this 2023 edition, thanks to Jennifer Buda (ALL) and her eleven-year-old Hanoverian accomplice, Daily Fun 4 (Destano), judged at 69.568%. Charlotte Lenherr (SUI), a neighbor from Switzerland, took second place with her 9-year-old bay gelding Gentleman (Grey Flanell), which performed at 69.405%. Evelyne Fleck (FRA), companion of Rémy Issartel, wore a broad smile when the results were announced (67.676%), and placed her 13-year-old Hanoverian chestnut stallion Domino de Merlieux (Dancier) in third place, the best French performance.
CDIU25, A comfortable victory for the United States
The CDIU25 Grand Prix was won easily, with an average score of 69.231%, by the American rider Benjamin Ebeling riding Status Royal, a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding, ahead of the French rider Sarah Lopez, who obtained 66.231% for her test with Diablo de Saint Val, while the Thai rider Parichamon Wachakorn associated with Edmonton convinced the judges with 64.436%.
CDI3* Grand Prix, Matthias Alexander Rath shakes up the leaderboard at the last minute
Accompanied like all the competitors by a musical backdrop timed to the second by Bernard Daney, thirty of this year’s most experienced riders, some of whom will be competing in the 5* classes over the next two days, performed the 3* Grand Prix throughout the afternoon, which was slightly dampened by a few showers, while the public, comfortably seated on the restaurant terrace, enjoyed the show to the full and kept their eyes on the stars of the day.
French dressage leader and 2022 Grand Prix title-holder Morgan Barbançon and her faithful 17-year-old KWPN stallion Bolero (Johnson) delivered a performance that lived up to expectations, scoring 69.717% and putting her in the provisional lead.
Another legendary rider on the international circuit on whom all eyes were on this afternoon, Swedish rider Patrik Kittel, 8th in the FEI world rankings, selected for three Olympics, had saddled the 13-year-old Westphalian gelding Galleria’s Bohemian (Bordeaux), who recently joined his stables after two seasons at the highest level under Cathrin Laudrup Dufour (GER). In spite of some emotions which caused him to lose points on the first passage sequence (with scores from 1 to 4), the handsome liver chestnut placed first by four of the five judges, achieved an average score of 71.652%, dethroning the Frenchwoman.
Despite very good performances, and pretty close scores, with the top 21 scoring between 66% and 70%, it was not until the last two entries that the provisional rankings were upset. Second last to enter the arena, Matthias Alexander Rath (GER), riding the magnificent 10-year-old chestnut Hanoverian stallion Destacado FRH, a son of Desperados x Londonderry, produced a performance well above the rest, scoring 75%, and took victory in style. This elegant and powerful horse, considered exceptional by connoisseurs since his first appearances on the training circuit where he regularly won, and nicknamed “The King” at his Gestüt Schafhof stables in Kronberg, has also shone more recently in several 3* Grand Prix, and is part of Germany’s B team since 2022. Representing Belgium, Larissa Pauluis, riding First Step Valentin, an 11-year-old chestnut Westphalian stallion and son of Vitalis x Fidermark, also performed a very fine 72.500% test to take second place, relegating French rider Morgan Barbançon to the foot of the podium.
To celebrate the event’s sixth anniversary, the Jiva Hill team had programmed an hour-and-a-half-long equestrian show concocted by Caval’Show, a multi-disciplinary troupe led by Benoit and Charly Soumille, featuring a succession of seven acrobatic, carousel, comedy and loose horses acts, much to the delight of the audience!
Tomorrow, August 5, it’s finals day for the future 6 and 7 year-old cracks, while the CDIAm amateurs competing in the Grand Prix Spécial will give free rein to their creativity on the Freestyle test to music, as will do the CDI1* and CDI3* pairs, while the 24 CDI5* riders will take to the stage, including the French Pauline Basquin, Arnaud Serre, Alexandre Ayache, Morgan Barbançon and Guillaume Lundy, on the start list of the Grand Prix at 1:30pm. Not to be missed!
Patrik Kittel comments:
About Jiva Hill Stables, “I think it’s unbelievable, I just walked into this arena and I was like, if I have to build something again, this is what I would build.” “The horses have it really good, because at the end of the day, that’s what we are concerned about. There are great stables, the grooms have it good as well, which is also for me very important.”
About Galleria’s Bohemian, “We have worked very short time with each other, but I have a good connection with him. So, I thought, just bring him without any pressure on him or me, I just ride and enjoy it. He is an exceptional horse but again I have never ridden a show with him so it’s going to be the first time tomorrow.”