Mark Edwards and Matt Sampson are the winners in this week’s international round-up
Sunday 23 June 2024
Mark Edwards lands a win in Deauville
Mark Edwards hit the ground running on day one, flying into the top spot of the 3* 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier with Royale Tale at CSIO3* Deauville, in France.
A big entry of 75 contended this 12-fence 1.45m speed with Mark pressing the turbo button on the nine-year-old Montreuxs Tale daughter to win with 1.74 seconds to spare.
“She is stepping up to these classes so well now, I’m very pleased with her progress,” said Mark, on his double winner in Luxembourg two weeks ago.
Jodie Hall-McAteer steered Kimosa Van Het Kritrahof into third in the 3* 1.50m grand prix qualifier. Twenty of the 68 starters returned for the jump-off and Jodie didn’t miss a beat with the 14-year-old Chatman daughter, galloping into another clear round to finish 1.83 seconds behind the winner, Luxembourg’s speedy Victor Bettendorf on Big Star Des Forets.
Matt Sampson scores a victory double at Azelhof Jumping
Fresh from his win at Spruce Meadows, Matt Sampson crossed over to Europe to claim victory in the world ranking 1.45m on King Lepantino at Azelhof Jumping in Lier, Belgium.
Fifteen riders from a start list of 80 found the key to the 2* 1.45m 12-fence track to reach the jump-off. Typically, Matt set off in determined style in this hotly contended decider, edging ahead on the nine-year-old King Lepantino (Arezzo VDL x Lord Z) to win by only 0.03 seconds.
Matt also picked up third in the 70-strong Seven and Eight-year-old 1.30/1.35m two-phase 1.22 sec behind the pace on the eight-year-old Pretty Pi’Que De Luxe (Party Dance x Viegaard’s Come Back II). The pair saved the best until last in Sunday’s Seven and Eight-year-old Final.
A big jump-off of 27 from an original field of 76 promised hot competition and didn’t disappoint. The on-form Matt, nevertheless, was in flying form to scythe every turn and land the win by 0.17 seconds.
Olivia Sponer galloped into second place in the 69-horse 2* 1.40m two-phase on the Corlensky G 15-year-old Crazy Girl 0.68 sec off the winning time.
A mammoth 125 competitors contended the early 2* 1.40m speed and grand prix qualifier but that didn’t deter Nathan Bull and he sped into second spot on Milton Van Vrijhern, the Cupido 12-year-old finishing 0.66 sec off the pace.
Scott Brash is in the money in Paris
Scott Brash picked up money on the Longines Global Champions Tour of Paris with Hello Vittoria.
The pair eased into third place in Saturday’s 5* 1.45m.
Twenty-eight riders contended this two-phase over a 13-fence track designed by France’s Gregory Bodo and, with 13 double clears, it was all about the clock. Scott rode a cool, deceptively quick round on the Kannan x Olisco 10-year-old to slot into third place on the podium 0.66 seconds adrift of the winning time, set by Brazil’s Eduardo Pereira de Menezes on Calypso Des Matis.
Scott and Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s Hello Vittoria went on to take second in Sunday’s 5* 1.45m speed, 1.61 seconds behind the winner, Ireland’s Mikey Pender on HHS Fortune.
Scott was one of only five of the original 35 competitors to leave every fence intact over the 1.60m course in the top-billed Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Paris. But most frustratingly, he was 0.06 seconds over the time allowed to incur one time fault on Hello Valentino and finish fifth. France’s Jeanne Sadran claimed the win on Dexter De Kerglenn.
Image credit: Grand Prix Events
