BINGO FOR GERMANY'S DANIEL DEUSSER !

Podium of the Longines Global Champions Tour - Grand Prix de Cannes presented by Volvo Groupe Cavallari ©LGCT

He gave a huge sigh of relief, absolutely huge! Relieved to have finished his jump-off with a superb double clear round. First to go out of the six qualified for the jump-off in the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix de Cannes presented by Volvo Groupe Cavallari, Germany’s Daniel Deusser only had to wait for his opponents to go one by one. One after the other, they all failed to beat the time he set with his stallion Bingo Ste Hermelle. The World number 10 thus achieved his fifth success on the Longines Global Champions Tour, the first this season and the second with his accomplice, who was already victorious in Valkenswaard in 2021. A real achievement considering the difficulty of the course built by the Italian course designer Uliano Vezzani.  “It’s without doubt the most difficult course on sand since the beginning of the season”, warned Belgium’s Olivier Philippaerts whilst walking the course. “There are combinations that’ll come quickly, a lot of jumps in the corners, floodlights, difficult stride choices and huge oxers at the end. We'll need very fit and clever horses.” The Belgian was right. Indeed, it wasn’t until Deusser, 15th to take the start, that the first clear round of the day was finally celebrated. There were only five to follow him at the end of the first round. Between the very complicated triple, a very narrow vertical coming out of a turn and various other difficult questions scattered everywhere by the course designer, access to the jump-off became a very tricky equation to solve. Only Austria's Max Kühner, France's Kevin Staut, Great Britain's Ben Maher, the USA's Spencer Smith and the surprising Mexican Fernando Martinez Sommer, who had already won the afternoon's qualifier, made it to the last act.

In the jump-off, Deusser set the bar high enough to force his opponents to take risks. The American Spencer Smith was slightly up on time part way through, but his last turn was less effective than the German's. Finishing twenty eight hundredths of a second slower with his Selle Français Théodore Manciais, he nevertheless took second place. The podium was completed by Great Britain’s Ben Maher with Faltic HB, also clear. “I am obviously very happy,” said Deusser. “I’m not sure that my horse was the fastest for tackling such a course. I think in some places I actually put in a few extra strides.  I knew I had to take every risk in the last line.” 

By winning on the Mediterranean coast, Daniel Deusser has also gained his precious "golden ticket" for the grand final of the circuit in Prague in November, reserved for the winners of each leg. “Prague is a goal for all the riders,”confided Deusser. “I'm very pleased to have already achieved this objective”

Kevin Staut delighted with his sixth place

Kevin Staut's sixth place on Dialou Blue PS, a mare who is only 9 years old, gave satisfaction to the French team. “I’m really happy with this result,” explained the Frenchman. “It was completely unexpected for an inexperienced 9 year old mare. Honestly, I didn't even think I would qualify for the Grand Prix. Then, to be in the jump-off when the first round was very difficult, with the light from the spotlights and a lot of things to manage, it was far from easy. She was a bit lacking in the jump-off but that's normal. It's very encouraging to get this result with a horse that we've bought to just gain experience at this level. The horses are doing really well at the moment and are in a good dynamic. It's really nice.” François-Xavier Boudant and Brazyl du Mezel also put in a good performance, finishing 9th and confirming his good results achieved in recent weeks with this 11 year old gelding.

In the overall rankings of the Longines Global Champions Tour, Christian Ahlmann, 8th in Cannes on Solid Gold Z, with a very fast "four faults", confirms his place as leader after seven of the fifteen dates on the calendar. He is still ahead of the Belgian duo Pieter Devos and Niels Bruynseels. All the actors will meet again in a fortnight in Stockholm, before continuing their season in Paris, on the Champ de Mars (24-26 June), in Monaco, on the Port-Hercule (30 June-2 July), and in London (19-21 August) etc. 

GCL: The Prague Lions didn’t falter

The suspense in the second round of the GCL presented by Constance Hotels was intense. The last rider to go, Belgium’s Niels Bruynseels, didn’t have any room for error if he was to allow his Prague Lions team to win. Riding Delux van T&L he rode a perfect round snatching the victory left hanging by his teammate and compatriot Pieter Devos, who was surprised like many by the third double of the course designed by Uliano Vezzani. “I knew what I had to do," commented Bruynseels. “My horse is in great form and I was confident.” The only team without a single penalty point in Thursday's first round, the Prague Lions, who had already won in Saint-Tropez, had chosen to replace the young American Brian Moggre by Belgium’s Niels Bruynseels. “Brian did a great job on Thursday”, said Devos. “The strategy was to bring in a fresh horse on Saturday and it has certainly paid off.”   

Over the 13 obstacle course (three of which were doubles, so 16 jumping efforts), many couples were caught out at the end. Thanks to a better time (addition of the times achieved by the two team members), the Shanghai Swans of Christian Ahlmann and Max Kühner took second place from the Madrid in Motion team composed of Eric and Maikel Van der Vleuten. “Christian was super and my horse also jumped very well”, said Kühner. “We’d have liked to win but we’ll be satisfied with this second place. After a difficult start to the season, I hope this will be a new start for our team”. Despite their relatively poor performance, the Berlin Eagles (8th), remain at the top of the overall placings. But with only seven points between the top four teams, it’s certain that nothing is decided.  

The individual victory went to the surprising Mexican, Fernando Martinez Sommer, who rode the fastest round with the stallion Charlie Harper, more than two seconds faster than the Olympic team champion and World n°3, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, on King Edward. None of the nine French riders competing managed to leave the ring clear. Only Simon Delestre (Tinka's Hero Z), 14th with 1 time fault, left all the poles in their cups. The class also served as a qualifier for the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Cannes presented by Volvo Groupe Cavallari (only the first 35 qualified). Among the riders who failed to qualify were France’s Aurélien Leroy (37th with Vendome d'Ick, 8 faults), Olivier Robert (40th with Iglesias D.V., 8 faults), Julien Anquetin (43rd with Z Ice Cube Z, 12 faults), but also the Belgian Abdel Saïd (36th with Arpège du Ru, 8 faults), Ireland’s Shane Breen (38th with Z7 Ipswich, 8 faults), Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander (41st  with Fellow Castlefield, 8 faults), Brazil’s Yuri Mansour (44th with QH Alfons Santo Antonio, 12 faults).

CSI 1* : The Grand Prix takes on a British accent

Following a jump-off contested by three competitors, it was Great Britain's Claire Beecroft, riding the 12-year-old BWP mare Kandora, who emerged victorious in the Direction des Sports de la Ville de Cannes Grand Prix, the big class of the CSI 1* competition. “My mare is just incredible”, enthused the rider who is used to the Longines Global Champions Tour events (2nd last year in the CSI 1* in Paris). “She was very sensitive before the start and I had to be very careful. It's great to win here in Cannes, in addition with my friends who were watching”. Second by nearly a second, Patrice Planchat, on Galopeur de Reville, was also delighted with a particularly successful weekend with already a podium on Friday. Satisfaction also for the rider from Roquebrune-sur-Argens to see his son Sébastien on the third step of the podium with Valentino v. Z. and his wife Patricia also invited to the prize-giving ceremony (6th). “It's a great pleasure to be here with my family”, said the 19 year-old Sébastien, third. “Especially at my favourite competition. It's the fourth time I've taken part but my first time in the big class of the CSI 1*. “It was imposing but quite simply a moment of pure happiness. I went into the jump-off to win but it doesn't matter, I'm so pleased to be here.”    

In the opening race of the day, American Erika Jakobson on Pembroke 3 won the Prix Bord Sol (1.30m) with the only clear round of the event ahead of Albanian Klodian Allajbeu, winner on Thursday with his Selle Français Avalon du Carpont. In the Prix Da'Laura Cannes (1,15m), the Belgian anthem was honoured thanks to Kasper de Boeck, 15 years old, on Gerenia, the fastest of the six clear rounds of the day. 

François Bourey : "We did it!"

“A successful return”, rejoiced François Bourey, President of the Jumping International de Cannes. “We had a full house this Saturday evening, which proves that the return of the jumping was really eagerly awaited. It was a real challenge to return to an event of this quality after an absence of two years, because we only obtained the agreement of the town two months ago and I must say that our bet paid off. Next year will be the 40th anniversary of the competition, and we are determined to have a big celebration. It’ll be a special moment. We started talking about it with Jan Tops this Saturday evening and we’ve some great ideas that we’ll be working on over the coming months. I’d like above all to thank the town and Mr. David Lisnard, the Mayor of Cannes, who has always supported the competition and made sure that it’s held in the best possible conditions, notably through the last renovations but also through those to come, which should see the light of day in 2023 and 2024. I approached this 39th edition as if I were organising my first international and experienced the same feelings as when I started, which is absolutely wonderful. The organising team, the public, the volunteers, the atmosphere, the sponsors present, everything was fantastic. See you in 2023!”