Windsor, England – May 03, 2024 – International Show Jumping got underway at the 2024 Royal Windsor Horse Show CSI 5* with the running of The Pearl Stakes CSI 5*, in which 31 of the world’s best horse and rider combinations tackled Bernardo Costa Cabral’s (POR) masterfully designed course. Held as a Two Phase competition at 1.45m, riders had to ensure a clear round over the first eight fences to continue on to the latter half of the course against the clock.

First in the arena, Gregory Wathelet – a previous winner of the Rolex Grand Prix at the Show – set the standard with a double clear in the time of 33.17 seconds. However, his lead was quickly usurped by Britain’s Sammy Hutton (GBR) and the 10-year-old gelding BP Pocahontas, who posted a time of 29.05 seconds.  

With 25 out of 31 combinations producing a double clear — including from some of Britain’s most exciting up-and-coming young riders Joseph Stockdale (GBR) and Harry Charles (GBR) — competition was fierce.  Matthew Sampson (GBR), the Leading Rider of December’s London International Horse Show, flew across the Castle Arena as ninth to go (GBR) with his specialist speed horse MGH Candy Girl and looked unbeatable in a time of 25.80 seconds. However moments later it was Ireland’s Shane Breen (IRL) riding the 10-year-old Cato Boy, who managed to make the distance in fewer strides to come home just 0.03 seconds faster than Sampson. None of the remaining combinations could quite match the speed and accuracy of Breen and Sampson however, although Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca (ITA) came closest with a third place time over a second slower.

Breen said: “I’m very pleased for Cato Boy. It’s always lovely to compete at Windsor, so to be here again and to open my account with a win is always a great start. I was after Matt Sampson, so I watched his round. We’ve got two quite different horses, so I watched how many strides he was doing between each fence and then I decided to do a stride less and it worked in my favour with Cato Boy. It was my day today.”

Talking about the Show, Breen continued: “I’m not even noticing the rain, it’s always wonderful to be here in Windsor – there’s royalty, there’s tradition, so many different events going on, all the trade stands – it’s all really well organised and it’s a great event.”

Final Results – €15,000 The Pearl Stakes CSI 5*

1) Shane Breen (IRL) & Cato Boy – 0 / 0 – 25.77

2) Matthew Sampson (GBR) & MGH Candy Girl – 0 / 0 – 25.80

3) Lorenzo de Luca (ITA) & Cash du Plessis – 0 / 0 – 27.10

Source: Press Release (edited) by Nikki McEwen / Revolution World for Royal Windsor Horse Show

Photo: © RWHS / Peter Nixon

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