Text © World of Showjumping

Sweden's Angelica Augustsson Zanotelli and Kalinka van de Nachtegaele (Epleaser van'T Heike x Cicero Z) won Saturday afternoon's CSI5* 1.55m Le Saut Hermès at the 2024-edition of Saut Hermès in the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris, France. 

Jumped over two rounds, the traditional Le Saut Hermès in open to ten female and ten male riders. With a time of 43.87 seconds in round two, Augustsson Zanotelli and her 14-year-old mare took the win ahead of Austria's Max Kühner and EIC Up Too Jacco Blue (Chacco-Blue x Cellestial) – with 0.21 seconds separating the two. Latvia's Kristaps Neretnieks – yesterday's winner of the Prix Hermès Sellier – and Palladium KJV (Falkenhof's Lancer x Cornet Obolensky) placed third in 44.11, followed by Greece's Ioli Mytilineou and La Perla v. Heffinck (Cooper van de Heffinck x Contact van de Heffinck) in fourth in 44.54. Liechtenstein's Jennifer Hochstadter and Golden Lady (Cassini Gold x San Patrignano Mister) completed the top five with a time of 47.04. 

Saturday's first CSI5* class, the 1.50m Prix GL Events, went to France's very own Simon Delestre and the 10-year-old Olga van de Kruishoeve (El Torreo de Muze x Nabab de Reve). The hosts showed great form, filling the top five. 

Stopping the clock on 59.30 in the 1.50m Table A competition, Delestre took the win ahead of Philippe Rozier and Le Coultre de Muze (Presley Boy x Vigo d'Arsouilles) in second in 59.32, followed by Kevin Staut and Cloe GP Z (Corrdino x Takashi van Berkenbroek) in third in 60.89, Roger Yves Bost (FRA) and Ever de Turan (Kannan x Ibis de Courcel) in fourth in 61.00, and Nicolas Delmotte (FRA) aboard Citadin du Chatellier (L'Arc de Triomphe x Diamant de Semilly) in fifth in 61.32. 

“It’s a fabulous victory," Delestre, who won the Grand Prix Hermès with Hermès Ryan in 2018 and 2019, said in a press release from Saut Hermès. "Olga is a quick mare and is able to post a consistent performance at this level. She won in Doha, where she was a prize winner in twelve of the thirteen courses. She also won in Riyadh and Morocco, and this is her seventh international victory in six months. The Saut Hermès is her first indoor competition of the season and it will also be her last. It’s great to see her win.”