Nicolas Delmotte Dashes for the Cash in €25,500 Mars & Co. Special Two-Phase CSI 5* at Dinard

By Jumper News on 29 29America/Sao_Paulo July 29America/Sao_Paulo 2022

Dinard, France – July 28, 2022 – The first day of competition of the Jumping international de Dinard took place this Thursday, in the prestigious Val Porée equestrian stadium. Nine classes were proposed for the day, five on the grass track, four on the sand, divided into the CSIYH1*, 1*, 3* and 5* categories. The main class of the day was claimed by Nicolas Delmotte (FRA), who teamed up with Citadin du Chantelier to win the €25,500 Mars & Co. Special Two-Phase Challenge CSI 5*.

The highlight of this Thursday 28 July, the only CSI5* class of the day began at 5.30pm on the grass track. In the colours of Mars & Co and running over 1.45m in two phases, it brought together forty-five couples, some of whom were among the best in the world. Very quickly, some athletes showed their strategy to prepare for the rest of the competition being careful over the course designed by Jean-François Morand (FRA), rather than going all out.

Thus, many combinations without penalty-points in the obstacles left the track with time penalties, like the American McLain Ward (USA), the first to start in this class. Other combinations, on the other hand, did not fail to pick up the pace and tighten their curves from obstacle number 5 of the course, in order to take the honours. Among them, the French rider Charles-Henri Fermé (FRA), associated with Bellini Dufaure de L, signed a clear round and took the pole position of the class, in 42’78.

Another French rider lowered the leading time: with his bouncing Atom des Etisses, a few numbers later, Laurent Goffinet (FRA) finished in 40’36. If some competitors were close to the performance, like Julien Gonin (FRA) with Valou du Lys (40’57), it was necessary to wait until the end of the race to know the outcome.

**Nicolas Delmotte** (FRA) & **Citadin du Chatellier**

And the public was not mistaken in welcoming Nicolas Delmotte (FRA) very warmly on the Val Porée course. The Nordic rider, determined to play the game in this two-phase event, launched his Citadin du Chatellier into the race, while keeping him from making the slightest mistake. The Frenchman and the 2012 bay Selle Français gelding (L’Arc de Triomphe x Diamant de Semilly) managed to complete the second phase in less than 40 seconds. In 39’53, the Nordic rider, winner of the Grand Prix of Dinard CSI 5* in 2017 with his Ilex VP, won this opening event, to the great delight of the Dinard public.