World No.1, Scott Brash takes 2nd in the Gucci Grand Prix, Paris
Sunday 08 December 2013
The Gucci Masters CSI 5* saw many of the world’s best riders make their way to Paris to contest the enormous prize funds on offer throughout the show. With British Riders Scott Brash and Ben Maher contesting the Grand Prix, the current World No.1 and 2 respectively, spectators knew they were going to see some great competition especially when they were joined by so many other globally renown riders such as Michael Whitaker, Gerco Schroder, and Kevin Staut to name a few.
It was this, the Grand Prix on the final day (Sunday) that all eyes were focused on with the €350,000 on offer. The field of thirty nine starters saw its fair share of competitors incurring faults with just thirteen coming forward for the jump off.
The first round had seen Ben Maher incur an unfortunate 4faults on Jane F. Clark’s grey mare Cella with whom he won Team Gold and Individual silver at this year’s European Championships. Michael Whitaker had also incurred faults (9) with his 2013 European Team Gold medal horse Viking V. It was Scott Brash, from Peebleshire, that kept GB’s hopes high for the jump off by producing a brilliant clear with Lady Pauline Kirkham & Lady Pauline Harris’s 12 year-old bay mare Hello Ursula XII.
First to go in the jump off was Aymeric de Ponnat with Armitage Boy, setting the standard with a clear in a time of 42.95 seconds. Going for a clear in a time that certainly wasn’t slow, those to follow knew they needed to keep the pace up if they were to beat him, and as a result many riders accrued faults on the big, testing and winding course of eight fences. It was his fellow French rider, Kevin Staut with Silvana Hdc that managed to topple him from holding onto first place by jumping clear in a time of 39.56 seconds towards the mid-way mark of the jump-off field.
Scott Brash, who came into the arena a few competitors later, was greeted by a lot of cheering in recognition of his talent and world leading status. Looking around the course waiting for the start bell to go and wearing the Longines armband which identifies him as the World’s Leading Rider, looked incredibly calm as he pushed Ursula into canter and through the start. Giving Ursula a perfect ride around the arena and not pushing her too hard he turned back towards the final fence, which ran alongside the packed grandstand seating, clearing it and stopping the clock at 40.72, just a second over Kevin Staut’s time.
Gerco Schroder (NL) and London, looked close on their heels but finished just slightly slower in a time of 41.32 slotting them into third place relegating the initial pathfinder, Aymeric de Ponnat into fourth place.
Talking afterwards, Scott commented “It’s been a really good season for me and it’s good to be here in Paris at the end of it and doing well. I had always planned to jump Ursula here, she’s a great horse and she’s jumped superbly today. I really am delighted with her, I could have perhaps taken a stride out coming into the oxer towards the end of the course but even then it would have been tight. Kevin was very fast, he was always going to be difficult to beat and I really am delighted to have finished as we have. We now go on to Olympia which is my ‘home’ show and I just hope we can do well there also”.
This topped off what had been a superb show for Scott as yesterday, Saturday, had seen him win the Longines Battle of Sexes 1.55m Jump Off Class with Elizabeth McTaggarts twelve year old brown gelding Bon Ami II. Friday had also seen this combination post their first win of the show by taking the title in the Longines Speed Challenge; both classes having had a prize pot of €100,000.
Other British placings during the show included 17 year-old Jessica Mendoza from Chippenham with Spirit T with their 2nd place in the Prix Le Figaro CSI2* & CSI5* Speed class. Ban Maher and Kavanagh IV, 5th in the Longines Speed Challenge and Michael Whitaker with Elie Vd Kolmen, 7th in the Trophee Salon duCheval 1.50m Jump Off class.
For more information on the Gucci Grand Slam in Paris please visit www.guccigrandslam.com
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