News
Lausanne CSI5* on track
Sep 11, 2016
A busy programme now awaits the competitors at the International Longines Horse Show of Lausanne, with 6 different events spread over the day. Sunshine, heat, the idyllic setting of Lake Geneva and a wonderful sporting event in perspective with the arrival of top level CSI5* riders and horses…
The first to arrive on the track were 36 CSI2* competitors at 8 am this morning. The Prix des Bénévoles award, a 130cm event, run under Table A followed by a jump-off, was won by the young French rider Julia Dallamano with her 8-year-old bay mare, Umea de Pleville. Switzerland placed second thanks to Charlotte Barbey and Cardoso, just 2 seconds behind the winner. Thierry Rozier and Star completed the podium.
Eagerly awaited by the public, the CSI5* pairs made their entry to the arena at 10:30 in a 140cm event, in Table A against the clock, under the Fonds du Sport Vaudois colours. If some headliners represented serious rivals, the 45 pairs were all driven by the same goal: to defeat the difficulties designed by Michel Vaillancourt head of the Canadian jumping arena. A first victory for Switzerland thanks to the performance of the pair Claudia Gisler/Touchable, the 16-year-old Dutch gelding, with whom she finished 7th in a similar event at the CSIO5* Gijon (Division 2) last August. The German Marc Bettinger/Barino was placed 2nd ahead of the Belgian Ignace Philips/Dream di San Patrignano, 3rd.
The 29 under 25 riders followed in the Services Techniques de la Ville de Lausanne award, a 2 stage event of 135cm. The Norwegian Johan-Sebastian Gulliksen, 5th in the individual and team titles at the European Young Riders Championships in 2016, brilliantly won with Chaloubet, an 8-year-old gelding. Switzerland imposed its flag on the rest of the podium with Morgane Dassio/Horst van de Mispelaere (2nd) and Jennifer Meylan/Opportune de Bloye (3rd).
In the early afternoon, the Give-Life award at 14:15 (115cm, Table A against the clock), sponsored by the Swiss association working to promote the donation and transplantation of organs, was won by the American Molly Ohrstrom on Jimy, her 11-year-old stallion. The rider's experience combined with the speed of her horse helped her to a dominant victory with more than 5 seconds on her opponents. Sophie Pellerey (FRA)/Aconnection came in second in front of the Swiss rider Charlotte Gellerstad/Amarena H.B; a 100% female podium was a reminder that riding is the only mixed Olympic sport.
The CSI5* riders made their return to the arena in the Beau Rivage Palace award (145cm in Table A followed by a jump-off). The showdown was particularly close. Only 22nd hundredths of seconds made the difference and gave leadership to the Swiss pair bronze medallist team at the European Championships in 2015, Paul Estermann/Castlefield Eclipse. Maëlle Martin/Giovani de la Pomme from France finished 2nd in font of the Olympic silver medallist in the 2016 team competition, the American Lucy Davis/Boucherom.