Constant van Paesschen & Plato de Muze Z Power to Win €100,000 Hubside.Store Grand Prix CSI 3*

By Jumper News on 30 30America/Sao_Paulo August 30America/Sao_Paulo 2022

Valence, France – August 28, 2022 – If the Marseillaise was the “hit” of this Valence edition of the Hubside Jumping, the second weekend of competition ends on the Brabançonne sounded by the rider Belgian Constant van Paesschen (BEL). In the €100,000 Hubside.Store Grand Prix CSI 3*, presented by Indexia, orders from Plato de Muze Z, he is ahead of the Luxembourgeoise Victor Bettendorf (LUX), who has gone to two fingers of a fifth victory this week, and Philippe Rozier (FRA), on Le Coultre de Muze.

Forty-three starters and only seven to the jump-off in this demanding Grand Prix CSI 3* of the Hubside Jumping Valence which brought to an end two weeks of competition at the Haras des Grillons in Ratiières, in the Drôme des Collines. Course designer Cédric Longis (FRA) proposed a very “horse friendly” course: this is how the multi-medal winner Michel Robert (FRA) presented it to the Valencian French public via the microphone during his recognition of the course. At, first it did not demand too much effort from the combinations, but asked riders to think hard and to lead their horses very well. And indeed, if the clear rounds were rare in the initial round, combinations penalized with “four penalty-points” (equivalent to a pole down) were numerous ; no obstacle really played the role of bogey, the poles of each of the thirteen obstacles and sixteen efforts ending on the ground in a rather homogeneous way.

A Cannonball Launched on the Track of Ratières

First to jump into the jump-off, Frenchman Guillaume Batillat (FRA), at the helm of Come On di Gisors, scooped four penalty points which, at this stage of the competition gave him little chance of victory. And indeed, immediately following him, the bronze medalist at the last Master Pro French Pro Elite Championship, Philippe Leoni (FRA) registered the first double clear, associated with Miss Marie Van’T Winnenhof, in 46.61 seconds.

Victory could be French… unless the Luxembourgeoise Victor Bettendorf (LUX) continued with his excellent form ! Already the author of four victories throughout the week, the rider, to whom everything is currently successful, confirmed his excellent form and lead his Simolo de La Roque Z towards a clean round, in a flash stopwatch that relegates the Habs to second place: 42.39 seconds. A second place that Leoni would occupy shortly since the 2016 Olympic champion with the team of France, Philippe Rozier(FRA) , in the saddle on Le Coultre de Muze, did not knock down any bar either and was faster than his compatriot… but less than the Luxembourgeoise, who retains pole position position.

The same outcome for Alexa Ferrer (FRA) on Arka de La Hart Z: clear, but less swift than Bettendorf. While there were still two competitors at the starting blocks, the rider was in third place provisionally. She will not be overtaken by Margaux Rocuet (FRA) and Djibouti from Kerizac, who could not prevent a bar from falling. Victory would then belong either to Luxembourg or Belgium.

**Constant van Paesschen** (BEL) & **Plato de Muze**

Last to start, Constant van Paesschen (BEL) took all the risks, tight at all the turns: this Grand Prix, he wanted to have it… and he would have it! With his Plato de Muze Z, the rider signed a perfect lap in a hellish tempo aboard the 2011 bay Zangersheide stallion (Plot Blue x Erco Van ‘T Roosakker), leading by more than a second than Victor Bettendorf (LUX). Valence exults!

**Constant Van Paesschen** (BEL) & **Plato de Muze Z**

“First of all, I would like to thank my horse, Plato de Muze Z, and the whole team around him. They gave their all. Then, of course, we must thank Sadri Fegaier and all his team for the organization of these two weeks of competition, here in Hubside Jumping Valence. And a huge thank you also to the public, who were behind each competitor in the event and not just the tricolor riders, ”commented the champion of the day.