Perfect Piergiorgio! Bucci Brings Home the Gold in the €500,000 Rolex Grand Prix of Rome CSIO 5*

By Jumper News on 2026-05-31

Rome, Italy – May 31, 2026 – Italy enjoyed a stunning victory in the Rolex Grand Prix of Rome CSIO 5*, a class with a €500,000 prize fund, which drew the curtain on an equally spectacular centenary edition of the CSIO Roma Piazza di Siena – Master d’Inzeo. Piergiorgio Bucci (ITA) set the crowd alight today when he rode Pallieter Vd N. Ranch to secure Italy’s 24th victory in this prestigious Roman competition. This is the third victory for Italy in the last 32 years, after Lorenzo de Luca in 2018 and Arnaldo Bologni in 1994.

**Piergiorgio Bucci** (ITA) & **Pallieter Vd N. Ranch**

Today, Bucci competed in his fifteenth Grand Prix Rome (his first was in 2002). When asked about his victory, the sense of humour of the rider got the better of him: “Well, we already knew it was coming because President Marco Di Paola and I had agreed on an Italian victory to mark the centenary of the CSIO and the FISE. As for me, now that I’ve learnt how to win the Grand Prix, the path is clear… Joking aside, it really is a great coincidence and yes… It’s one more reason to be happy. This victory came in front of all the most important figures in equestrian and Italian sport. I must thank them for what they do for us. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to give something back in some way.”

The Rolex Grand Prix course set by Uliano Vezzani (ITA) today was highly selective, with jumps at 1.60 metres. Seven pairs reached the second round without faults, alongside six pairs with the fastest times who carried four faults. Only the Italian winning pair managed to complete a double clear round, delivering a superb performance in terms of precision, speed, and concentration (0/0; 42.01).

Two German riders followed Bucci: Jörne Sprehe (GER) and Toys were the runners-up, registering a total of four penalty-points due to one pole down in the second round. (0/4; 39.01 seconds).

After winning the €1,500,000 Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen CSI 5* last Sunday, Richard Vogel (GER) came very close to another major victory. This time, he finished third on Cloudio, knocking down one pole in the second round before crossing the line in 41.67 seconds to secure bronze honors.

Pallieter Vd N. Ranch is a stallion born in 2015 who has been ridden by Bucci for exactly one year. In 2026 alone, they won the Grand Prix at the CSI 3* in Valencia, the CSI 4* in Bedizzole, and the CSI 5* in Mexico City. They consistently achieved double-clear rounds, as they did in the Grand Prix at the CSI 5* in Miami, where they finished third.

Born in L’Aquila on 18 August 1975, Bucci returned to Italy at the end of 2025 after 16 years spent abroad in the Netherlands and Belgium. When journalists at the traditional press conference at the Casino dell’Orologio asked him about the importance of ambassadors in promoting the sport, Bucci gave an answer almost as perfect as his victory. “In Germany, for example, our sport is more popular than in Italy. We’re getting there. We’re all working together to make it increasingly popular. My responsibility is to be as fair as possible to my horse and to show fans and the public — including the large audience in Rome that isn’t part of the equestrian world — how closely we’re bonded with our horses. The result is wonderful when it comes, but if it doesn’t, we must still put first and foremost the respect that the horses, our opponents and our fans deserve.”