Great start for the Jumping international de Dinard!

The first day of competition of the Jumping international de Dinard took place this Thursday, in the prestigious Val Porée equestrian stadium. Nine classes were proposed for the day, five on the grass track, four on the sand, divided into the CSIYH1*, 1*, 3* and 5* categories. The strongest riders of the day were Steve Guerdat (SUI), winner of the 1.45m CSI3* class, and Nicolas Delmotte (FRA), who won the opening class of the CSI5*, in the colours of Mars & Co.
The one hundred and tenth edition of the Jumping international de Dinard kicked off this Thursday morning at 8.30 am, and it was the young horses who opened the competition: forty-nine of them started on the superb grass track of Val Porée, in the Top 7 of the CSIYH1* label. Twenty-six of them managed to complete a faultless course on a track designed by the French ringmaster Jean-François Morand.
Fifty-two competitors then took the start of the major 3* event on Thursday – a 1.45m course, which was run on the A scale, in the colours of the Estivales de l’Équitation – in the middle of the morning, on the sand track. The first clear round was signed by the Swiss rider Alexandra Amar, number two at the start, who started with Lyon Van de Plataan. But it was another Swiss representative who took the victory: the multi-medalist Steve Guerdat, riding his Selle Français stallion Double Jeu d’Honvault, won in 73’89 on Jean-Philippe Desmarez’s track. He was ahead of the French riders Julien Gonin and his bubbling Estrella de la Batia (74’19) and Alice Vancrayelynghe and Volcan du Sartel (76’23).
A good start for the French riders
Five events were held on the grass track this Thursday and the one in the colours of the Esthederm Institute brought together thirty-one couples at the end of the morning, in a 1.10m event which was run in two phases. At the finish, it was a very young and promising rider who won: the French rider Zoe Vageon Ledy, aged twelve, riding Arkana Messipierre (38.41), ahead of Thibault Blanchard and Doubai du Tremplin (39.99) and Enora Couturier riding Gimagine de Vayrie (40.29). A 100% French podium! At the beginning of the afternoon, the track welcomed the riders competing in the CSI1*, for a two-phase 1.30m class in the Vent de Voyage colours. Twenty-six riders took part and it was Quentin Richard and Airfly Beau Presage who finally had the last word. This event was a success for the French, as second place went to Julien Lavarec and Enjoy Moon, ahead of Quentin Salliot and Beatnik Boistillac. At 2.45pm, the CSI1* riders had the privilege of taking to the grass track at Val Porée, in a two-phase 1.20m class. Forty-seven riders took part in this prize sponsored by the Royal Emeraude Hotel. The British rider Nicola Wilson was able to overcome the difficulties set up by Jean-François Morand, who officiates on the CSI1*, YH and 5* labels, beating the French riders Sarah Marcel Dirickx and Régis Albrand.
At the same time, the sand track saw no less than sixty-five riders compete in the CSI3*, in a 1.40m class in the colours of Document Store. With a lead of more than three seconds, the French rider Lucas Fournier won with his mare Cyranan Z (67’35). He was ahead of the Egyptian Nayel Nassar and Jiminy Cricket (70.44) and the rider from the other side of the Atlantic, Daniel Cyphert and Sangris Boy. Finally, the event reserved for the Amazons, in the colours of Ouest Bardage Couverture, concluded this day of competition on the sand track, within the framework of the CSIL1*: there were twenty-one sportswomen to start at the end of the day, in the hope of obtaining a classification in this 1.30m event which was played out on the A scale on time. France won with the great performance of Dominique Le Monze, associated with Epona de Saint-Fray, in front of the United States represented by Alexa Pessoa and Lindsay Douglas, who took the second and third step of the podium.
France for the opening round of the 5* class
Finally, the highlight of this Thursday 28 July, the only CSI5* class of the day began at 5.30pm on the grass track. In the colours of Mars & Co and running over 1.45m in two phases, it brought together forty-five couples, some of whom were among the best in the world. Very quickly, some athletes showed their strategy to prepare for the rest of the competition and to take care of the layout designed by Jean-François Morand, rather than running the event. Thus, many couples without faults in the obstacles left the track with time penalties, like the American Mclain Ward, the first to start in this class. Other couples, on the other hand, did not fail to pick up the pace and tighten their curves from obstacle number 5 of the course, in order to take the honours. Among them, the French rider Charles-Henri Fermé, associated with Bellini Dufaure de L, signed a clear round and took the pole position of the event, in 42’78. Another French rider improved the time: with his bouncing Atom des Etisses, a few numbers later, Laurent Goffinet finished in 40’36. If some competitors were close to the performance, like Julien Gonin with Valou du Lys (40’57), it was necessary to wait until the end of the race to know the outcome. And the public was not mistaken in welcoming Nicolas Delmotte very warmly on the Val Porée course. The Nordic rider, determined to play the game in this two-phase event, launched his Citadin du Chatellier into the race, while keeping him from making the slightest mistake. The pair managed to complete the second phase in less than 40 seconds. In 39’53, the Nordic rider, winner of the Grand Prix of the CSI5* in Dinard in 2017 with his Ilex VP, won this opening event, to the great delight of the Dinard public.
The results of this first day of competition: https://results.worldsporttiming.com/event/110
Press Release Jumping International de Dinard 5*
Foto Nicolas Delmotte (FRA) and Citadin du Chatellier, Winners of the Prix Mars & Co (CSI5*) Mention: Sportfot/Jumping international de Dinard