Paris, France – March 16, 2023 – This weekend, Hermès will welcome sixty-one of the world’s leading riders and their horses to the Grand Palais Éphémère, in partnership with GL events, for three days of 5* competition. They will jump rounds of fences between 1.45 m and 1.60 m in height created by Spanish course designer Santiago Varela Ullastres (ESP). Twenty international rising stars aged under 25 will take part in the Talents Hermès classes. An exceptional platform that promises an intense and thrilling thirteenth competition.
While both two-time winners of the Grand Prix Hermès, German Marcus Ehning (GER), 2010 and 2014, and Frenchman Simon Delestre (FRA), 2018 and 2019, the latter an Hermès partner rider, will be present to attempt a historic triplet, nothing is set in stone when so much talent is gathered in one arena. No fewer than twelve of the top twenty riders in the world rankings are taking part in the CSI 5* competition. Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann (SWE), world number one and runner-up in last year’s Hermès Grand Prix CSI 5*, Dutchman Harrie Smolders (5th), Brazilian Marlon Módolo Zanotelli (7th), and German Daniel Deusser (8th) will also be competing for victory. The Parisian public will be able to support the seventeen French competitors, including the fittest in recent months, Julien Épaillard (3rd), and the winner of the 2022 Hermès Grand Prix CSI 5*, Kevin Staut (10th). The public will also be able to count on Hermès’ partner riders, Jérôme Guéry (BEL – 17th), 2012 Olympic champion Steve Guerdat (SUI – 26th) and the Brazilian Pedro Veniss (97th) to fly the flag for the Parisian house in this prestigious competition. No fewer than fifteen women are also in the running, including Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS), winner of the Grand Prix Hermès in 2017, Angelica Augustsson Zanotelli (SWE), who distinguished herself at the start of the indoor season in the FEI Jumping World Cup™ leg in La Coruna, and the Belgian Gudrun Patteet (BEL).
In the Talents Hermès classes, Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Ireland, the Principality of Monaco, Switzerland, Sweden, and Ukraine will each be represented this year by two young hopefuls aged under 25. Last year’swinner Belgium is represented this year by two European Young Riders Championships medal-winners. European Young Riders champion Thibeau Spits, who took part in 2022’s event, is back this year along with Thibault Philippaerts, European number two. France will count on Jules Orsolini and Alice Lainé, who are appearing in the Parisian arena for the first time.
The younger generation will also be represented in the CSI 5* with eight under-25s competing this year: France’sMégane Moissonnier (25) and Jeanne Sadran (22), Great Britain’s Lily Attwood (21) and Harry Charles (23, winner of last year’s Prix du 24 Faubourg), Greece’s Ioli Mytilineou (25), Liechtenstein’s Jennifer Hochstadter (19), Turkey’s
Alessia Arrigo Zazadze (23) and Belgium’s Gilles Thomas (24), Talents Hermès winner in 2022.
Source: Press Release from Claire Lépine for Saut Hermès
Photo: © Saut Hermès / Christophe Tanière
Categories: Jumper News France, Preview
