A Big Win for a Small Horse
The GCT Grand Prix de Ville de Cannes was a contest to thrill any show jumping fan. Of the 18 horse that got through to the second round, 17 were clear and consequently it was anyone’s Grand Prix in the jump off. First to go double clear over the jumps was Filipe de Azevedo but sadly he fell victim to time and recieved one penalty for it. So almost inevitably it was Marcus Ehning (Plot Blue) who started the the ball rolling for the jump off. He was immediately matched by Kevin Staut on the wayward Le Prestige St Lois who on this occasion kept his bucking antics to a minimum. The number for the timed round rose to five when Jessica Kurten (Castle Forbes Libertina), Marco Kutscher (Cash) and Edwina Alexander (Cevo Itot du Chateau)joined them.
Serge Houtmanns eight fence jump off course featured that most crowd pleasing feature, a very long gallop to the last jump. Unfortunately, both German riders were not able to take advantage having already had a pole down before that point. But Kevin Staut really set Le Prestige alight having wasted a little time bucking early but to a huge groan the last rail fell. Then Jessica Kurten galloped in and despite knowing a safe clear would leave her no worse than second, she sportingly gave the crowd the round they were waiting for. Despite a herculean effort from her mare, however, she was too far off the last oxer to have any chance of leaving the back rail up and her time was a fraction slower than Kevins. So Edwina Alexander on the smallest horse in the field knew she only had to jump clear to win. You could have heard a pin drop in the stadium. The audience were well aware that one mistake would hand the win to their favourite but Itot du Chateau never looked in any danger of doing so. The cheers and claps could not have been more enthusiastic when the Australian’s French bred horse cleared the final fence. “I was very sure Itot would be clear as he had been jumping so well but it wouldn’t have mattered if I had four time faults instead so I could not go that slowly,” commented the rider at the press conference.
During the conference, show director Francois Bourey announced that Kevin Staut would be the face of WEG 2014, which is to be held in Normandy, France, as he has become some thing of an inspiration to French equestrianism especially the younger riders.
Earlier in the day Alvaro de Miranda Neto and AD Norson repeated their successful Turin performance when they won the Prix Nice-Matin speed class. Two weeks ago in Turin, the horse placed twice before winning on the last day and he has done exactly the same here. Alvaro was still delighted, especially as he was third to go of 43 starters. “It is hard to know if you have done enough especially with so many good riders after you , you always think you might have left the door open but luckily today I didn’t! This horse is just a super consistent though.” Ireland Denis Lynch was second on his recent acquisition Lacroix and Harrie Smolders was third on another GCT speed specialist Exquis Powerfee, who won two similar classes at Monaco in 2009. ~by Lulu Kyriacou, GCT Press Agent
Quotes
Jessica Kurten- “Riding libertina is always like riding a Lamborghini but as with driving a fast car, if you crash it is always driver error and that was certainly the case here. I think it is fair to say I was a little too brave, but that was my Irish hunting background coming out! Libertina couldnt have done more or tried harder.”
Kevin Staut- Well, it has been quite a year but I think I will just keep working and doing what I do and hopefully the success will continue. No, I am not planning to run for President quite yet!!”
Results
Class 6- Grand Prix De La Ville De Cannes 1. Edwina Alexander (AUS) Cevo Itot du Chateau,0,0,0, Euro 95’000 2. Kevin Staut (FRA) Le Prestige St Lois, 0,0,4, 36.29 Euro 57’000 3. Jessica Kurten (IRE) Castle Forbes Libertina, 0,0,4, 36.78, Euro 38000
Class 5- Prix Nice Matin
1.Alvaro de Miranda Neto (BRA) AD Norson, 0, 53.71, Euro 6400
2 Denis Lynch (IRE) Lacroix, 0, 53.80, Euro 3200 3. Harrie Smolders(NED) Exquis Powerfee, 0, Euro 2400
More from Horse Sport:
