Angelica Augustsson & Kalinka vd Nachtegaele Turn on the Nitro to Win the €105,500 Saut Hermès Prize CSI 5*

By Jumper News on 2024-03-17

Paris, France – March 16, 2024 – With the ten best male riders pitted against the ten best female riders from Friday’s Prix Hermès Sellier and vying for the second biggest prize of the competition, the €105,500 Saut Hermès is a class with two rounds and jumps set at 1.55 meters. Sweden dazzled the crowd inside the Grand Palais Éphémère and won the class after an incredible performance by Angelica Augustsson Zanotelli paired with her 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood (BWP) mare Kalinka van de Nachtegaele. It is the sixth victory for a mare out of six classes in this edition of the Saut Hermès.

**Angelica Augustsson Zanotelli** (SWE) & **Kalinka van de Nachtegaele**

“I am very proud of Kalinka, said the beaming winner of today’s big prize. She jumped incredibly well in both rounds. Winning against competitors of such a high standard feels absolutely amazing. This sport is all about the detail. There are days where everything works and other more difficult days. Today, everything was in my favour. I’m really very happy to be here at this wonderful venue with all my family.”

At the end of the first act, nine horse and rider pairings scored a clear round leaving them ideally placed to tackle the second round, which calls for another flawless performance over the fences with as fast a time as possible. The time from the second round was used to separate those competitors who were tied on points.

**Max Kühner** (AUT) & **EIC Up Too Jacco Blue**

Last year’s winner of this class with Corioli des Isles, world No.8 Max Kühner (AUT) believed he was going to make it a double with EIC Up Too Jacco Blue as he snatched the lead with a blisteringly quick time of 44’’08. This time though, he will have to make do with second place after the Swedish rider finished 21 hundredths of a second ahead of him.

“Second is good but obviously it’s not good enough, he lamented through his smile. Jacco Blue is back from a period of rest and I’m happy with him. He jumped well. It’s my fault. I wanted to play it safe by adding an extra stride down the home straight and at this level of competition that decision is not enough to take the win.”

**Kristaps Neretnieks** (LAT) & **Palladium KJV**

Victorious on Friday in the Prix Hermès Sellier with Quintes, Latvian Kristaps Neretnieks (LAT) is really on a roll during his Parisian weekend with a third place riding Palladium KJV.

Greek rider Ioli Mytilineou (GRE) and La Perla v. Heffinck and the rider from Liechtenstein, Jennifer Hochstadter (LIE), the youngest female competitor in the class (20 years of age), and Golden Lady, finish fourth and fifth respectively.