Casas Novas, La Coruña, Spain – December 01, 2023 – The sports program of the first day of the A Coruña 2023 CSI5*-W ended with the €100,000 CaixaBank Trophy CSI 5*-W, a class in which Harry Charles (GBR) won for the second year in a row. The British man won again with Billabong du Roumois.
Excitement until the end in the CaixaBank Trophy, a 1.50 meters class of the CSI5*-W of A Coruña, qualifier for Sunday’s Longines FEI World Cup Grand Prix. Out of the 44 riders who started the competition, 28 were already qualified, so 12 places were left.
The French riders, who had taken the first two places in the previous class, were also dominating the CaixaBank Trophy. Julien Epaillard (FRA) was leading the standings with Cancun Torel Z, a mare that has been in the French rider’s stable for a very short time, winning four of the last six classes she has competed in. Their time of 56’03 seemed impossible to beat. At that moment, another French rider was in second place: Julien Anquetin (FRA) with Blood Diamond du Pont, with 56’42 seconds.
When it seemed that the French triumph was sentenced, the young Harry Charles(GBR), leader of the FEI U-25 ranking for the last 23 months, came out ready to win the class with Billabong du Roumois, the son of “Mylord Carthago” with whom he had won this class in 2022 and that curiously, Julien Epaillard had previously competed with.
The British rider stopped the clock in 55`64 seconds, a time that allowed him to win the class for the second year in a row. The public, which from early afternoon filled the grandstands of the Casas Novas Equestrian Center, rewarded the British rider with a long ovation as he received his trophy from Juan Pedro Badiola, territorial director of the northern area of CaixaBank. In 2022 he had won after beating Henrik von Eckermann’s (SWE) record and a year later he has done it leaving Julien Epaillard at the gates of victory.
Final Results – €100,000 CaixaBank Trophy CSI 5*-W
1) Harry Charles (GBR) & Billabong du Roumois – 0 – 55.64
2) Julien Epaillard (FRA) & Cancun Torel Z – 0 / 0 – 56.03
3) Julien Anquetin (FRA) & Blood Diamond du Pont – 0 / 0 – 56.42
Source: Press Release (edited) from Oxersport for CSI Casas Novas
Photos: © CSI Casas Novas / Oxer Sport Manuel Queimadelos & Jose Manuel Alvarez for Quality Sport Images
Categories: CSI 5*-W, English, Jumper News Great Britain
