Sunday at Saut Hermes au Grand Palais
Sunday 19 March 2017
The CSI 5* Saut Hermes au Grand Palais in Paris drew to a close today with some intense competition being played out.
The late morning class of the 25 Years and Under 1.45m Team Competition saw Jack Whitaker and Jessie Drea join forces to make up the British team. The format of the competition was one where both riders, within each team, had been required to jump two rounds with any penalties incurred accrued to give an overall collective tally. Should there be more than one team on a the same penalty score their collective time is then used to decided the overall placing which always ensures the comeptition is an exciting and fast paced one to watch.
At the end of both rounds, Great Britain, along with Germany and Sweden all sat on 4 penalties each at the top of the leaderboard. Jack Whitaker with Emilie Machon and Michael Potter’s Valentin R had posted two superb clears whilst Jessie Drea with her own and Lynne Humphries by stallion Mullaghdrin Touch The Stars had also delivered a clear in the first round but an unlucky touch of a pole in the second saw them pick up the 4 penalties.
It was an eventual mere fraction of a second that separated the top three placings with Great Britain taking 3rd in a time of 82.64 seconds behind Sweden with their time of 82.25 seconds. It was Germany who took title in the end with a time of 81.78 seconds which stands testament as to what a hard fought competition it had been.
The €400k Hermes Grand Prix closed the show with some particularly impressive jumping and it was Edwina Tops-Alexander with California who secured the class their own by delivering the fastest, of only two double clears achieved in the competition. The second double clear had come from Penelope Leprevost with Vagabond de la Pom. John Whitaker with Team Harmony’s impressive bay mare Ornellaia finished 6th.
For full results visit www.sauthermes.com
