From Four-Month Break to the Winner’s Circle: Venard de Cerisy Victorious with Steve Guerdat in Hamburg!

By Jumper News on 2024-05-11

Hamburg, Germany – May 10, 2024 – After a break from competitions for almost four months Venard de Cerisy started again with 1.30 meter jumping and competed in his first big course of the season in Hamburg: in the €57,000 Agria Flottbek Prize 5Star CSI 5*, the qualification for the Longines Grand Prix of Hamburg. The 15-year-old World Championship and Olympic jumper won under the saddle of Olympic champion Steve Guerdat (SUI). He made no mistakes in 37.60 seconds and gave the other ten jump-off participants no chance.

“I’m always very critical of myself, but I think I handled the jump-off pretty perfectly,” summed up the winner. “Venard is extremely fast and everything went really well.” He only knew what he could risk after the first two jumps in the jump-off, precisely because Venard had this long break. “He jumped well in the round, but I noticed that he was still a bit rusty, but in the jump-off he felt even better and reacted even better than I expected.” He already said last year that this Horses get better with age, which is even more evident this year. “The beginning with this horse was difficult, but what he has already achieved for us is absolutely amazing. He always gave everything for us.”

Venard is the ‘sweetheart of the team’ at home, as is Arlo in his stable in Dagobertshausen. ‘Arlo’ is the 14-year-old Frenchman Arlo de Blondel, Nicola Pohl‘s (GER) top horse. The pair finished second behind Guerdat, 0.89 seconds behind. “For me, this success is one of the most touching in my career,” said the 28-year-old from Dagobertshausen in Hesse. “Just because of the atmosphere, because it was with Arlo and because it almost feels like a victory.” Arlo is a very special horse. With him she has the chance to be placed at the top of five-star tournaments. He is fast and clever. “Arlo is actually someone who thrives on atmosphere: the more people cheer him on, the bigger he gets. Then he comes in with his chest proud and loves to be cheered at the award ceremony. Then my heart opens and so does his heart.”

Eleven combinations took part in the jump-off of the Agria Flottbek 5 Star and things got off to a good start: Philip Rüping (GER) and Baloutaire PS put in a flawless, very fast lap – in 41.81 seconds. “In the end, you wouldn’t have thought that he would be the slowest zero in the jump-off,” smiled Paul Schockemöhle on the sidelines, “but horses and riders are getting better and better.”

In fact, every ride seemed to spur the next rider on even more, the pace of the jump-off went from quick to fast to almost perfect. Kendra Claricia Brinkop (GER) ended up in third place with In Time and 38.79 seconds.

At the Longines Grand Prix of Hamburg on Saturday, Guerdat will not saddle Venard again, but eleven-year-old Lancelotta. “She is a relatively new horse of mine and I have pretty high hopes for her,” explains Guerdat. “The Grand Prix here in Hamburg will be our most difficult competition with her so far.”

Arlo will also no longer be competing on Saturday. “I actually wanted to ride him again tomorrow, but he was so good, he gets the day off tomorrow and I’ll saddle my other horse, Catz de Sulpice, in the Grand Prix.

“Hamburg is a big festival”
Last year, Guerdat’s quote made headlines comparing the Hamburg Derby Park to Disneyland, this year the world-class rider explained: “I enjoy this tournament – of course the riding, but also everything surrounding it. Hamburg is a big festival. People are not here because they have to be here, but because they want to be. You can feel the euphoria, families and children are there, it’s a nice atmosphere in the horse world – I love that more than anything.”

Final Results – €57,000 Agria Flottbeck 5Star CSI 5*

1) Steve Guerdat (SUI) & Venard de Cerisy – 0 / 0 – 37.60

2) Nicola Pohl (GER) & Arlo de Blondel – 0 / 0 – 38.49

3) Kendra Claricia Brinkop (GER) & In Time – 0 / 0 – 38.79

FULL RESULTS

course map

Source: Press Release from En Garde Marketing (translated) for the Hamburg Jumping & Dressage Derby