By Six-Hundreths of a Second! Yuri Mansur & Miss Blue Saint Blue Farm Prevail in the €200,000 GL Events Grand Prix CSI 5*

By Jumper News on 2025-04-27

Fontainebleau, France – April 26, 2025 – From Versailles to Fontainebleau, it is only one step. This Sunday afternoon, the connection was found in the career of Princes on the site of the Grand Parquet. On the occasion of the five-star Grand Prix in the colors of GL events, many obstacles present during the last 2024 Olympic Games of Paris returned. The Eiffel Tower, the Little Prince, the lavender palanques, the “Notre-Dame de Paris” wall…. And so many others. A wink that was obviously successful for Yuri Mansur (BRA) teamed up with Miss Blue Saint-Blue Farm. The Brazilian won this intense and extremely competitive Grand Prix. The Belgians Grégory Wathelet (BEL) and Gilles Thomas (BEL), respectively associated with Bond Jamesbond de Hay and Ermitage Kalone, taking the second and third places.

The technical course imagined by the course manager Grégory Bodo (FRA) would have some great moments in store on the main stage of the Grand Parquet. Impressive obstacles at the highest level, a demanding track, including double verticals a few strides after a wide bar, or the river which followed the vertical of the Eiffel Tower… So many elements which allowed only 11 riders, amongst the 50 combinations, to advance to the tiebreaker.

The flawless performance of the world number 1, and first competitor to start, opened the field of possible. But number 3 of the course, a vertical on bidet and the lavender hoists placed in number 5 were right to the hopes of victory of some, yet among the contenders the more serious in the places of honor of this highly coveted Grand Prix.

On the French side, only Simon Delestre associated with I Amelusina R 51 was able to find the key to access act two of this event full of twists and turns.

**Gilles Thomas** (BEL) & **Ermitage Kalone**

If in the first phase, you had to be careful, in the jump-off, you had to be precise… and fast. Very fast. A fact that the eleven jump-off contenders took largely into account. Going after the Swede Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) and Minute Man (4 penalty-points), Belgian Gilles Thomas (BEL) was the first to sign a double clear round in 41.67 seconds.

A performance which immediately prompted his pursuers to play their trumpets. Some tried, without success, like Simon Delestre (FRA) who was penalized with 4 penalty-points, relegating him to tenth place. Others managed a double clear round but could come close to the Belgian rider’s time.

**Yuri Mansur** (BRA) & **Miss Blue Saint-Blue Farm**

Very close indeed, since the six riders who achieved a double clear were all within the the same second. Two of these champions, however, managed to do better. Yuri Mansur (BRA) in the lead, had jump-off without penalties in 41.52 seconds thanks to taking shortest trajectories.

**Grégory Wathelet** (BEL) & **Bond Jamesbond de Hay**

Grégory Wathelet (BEL), who set off just after with Bond Jamesbond de Hay, would ultimately be deprived of the victory by only 6 hundredths of a second. None of the remaining competitors succeeded in upsetting the hierarchy of this podium dominated by Brazil with two Belgians on the second and third step.

This Grand Prix looked like an Olympic summit, both for the quality of its field and for the technicality of its course, which offered the Bellifontain public who came in very large numbers, a very beautiful moment of top sport at the highest level.

Winner’s Circle – Yuri Mansur (BRA)

I have known, since the first time I rode this mare, that she had extraordinary talent. I I believe this is the sixth 5* Grand Prix that she has won. I did my best and the mare responded, but given the level of the riders that I had in front of me, we had to take all the risks. There was such a plateau, with such riders and such horses!