Lyon, France – October 28, 2022 – Hot on the heels of their victory in the Prix Département du Rhône CSI 2* on Wednesday evening, Harold Boisset (FRA) rode to victory at one of France-‘s most traditional horse shows for the second day in a row. The French rider, who is based near Montpellier, is in particularly great form this week and seems determined to lead the way in the CSI 2* competition at the Longines Equita Lyon Concours Hippique International CSI 5*-W & CSI 2*. So, it was no surprise to see him notch up another win this evening with his partner T’Obetty du Domaine.
There were sixty-two starters in the €27,040 Speed Challenge CSI 2*, sponsored by the Laiterie de Montaigu. On a course with 1.45m obstacles laid out by the French course designer Grégory Bodo (FRA), the riders knew that they not only needed to complete a clear round, but also ride as fast as possible to stand a chance of winning. The challenge was made all-the-more important by the fact this was a qualifying class for Saturday’s Grand Prix, and also counted for the world rankings. So, there were points at stake!
As the fifth rider to start, Charlotte Leoni (FRA) had the bit between her teeth on Venezia d’Elke (Toulon x Royal Feu), posting a fast time of 61”46, shaving several seconds off the previous best time set by Noa Verel and 3Q Qalisya (64”90). Although this was ultimately not enough for Charlotte to win the class, her fast time ensured she took third place.
Female riders were very competitive this evening and topped the rankings for a while. But the determination of Julien Anquetin (FRA) and Cesus de Fougnard (Tlaloc M x Calvaro) shifted the balance after their clear round in 60”47, which would be good enough for second place.
Boisset and the 15-year-old chestnut Selle Français mare (Kashmir van Schuttershof x Diams du Grasset) once again shaved a few hundredths of a second off the clock! The new time to beat was 60’26. The couples that followed tried their utmost to do even better… but came up short. “T’Obetty was even more at ease than yesterday in this arena, where she is competing for the first time this weekend. I think she’s found her mark. I would have liked to remove a stride in the last line, but in the end it didn’t matter! My horse is doing really well and I hope that bodes well for the Grand Prix on Saturday,” said Harold after the event.
Final Results – €27,040 Prix Laiterie de Montaigu CSI 2*
1) Harold Boisset (FRA) & T’Obetty du Domaine – 0 – 60.26
2) Julien Anquetin (FRA) & Cesus de Fougnard – 0 – 60.47
3) Charlotte Leoni (FRA) & Venezia d’Elke – 0 – 61.46
Source: Press Release (edited) from Longines Equita Lyon
Photos: © Equita Lyon / PSV Photo / Jean Morel
Categories: CSI 2*, English, Jumper News France
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