Text © World of Showjumping

The five-star action at the 62nd edition of CHI Geneva kicked off at Palexpo on Thursday with a double of wins for Luxembourg's Victor Bettendorf ahead of the 1.60m Le Trophée de Genève – the first qualifier for the Rolex Grand Prix –- which will take place later in the evening. 

After a victory in the very first five-star class of the week –- the 1.40m Prix Radio Lac –- with Big Star des Forets (Untouchable x Voltaire Pref, bred by Elevage de Forêts), Bettendorf continued his winning ways in the CSI5* 1.45m Prix Swiss Wine Genève when taking the top honours with Astuce de La Roque (Kannan x Quick Star, bred by EURL Top Stallions Company). With a time of 26.20 in the second phase, Bettendorf finished first ahead of the host nation's Pius Schwizer (SUI) and Just Special VK (Falaise de Muxe x Toulon, bred by M. van Kleef/Stoeterij van Kleef) in second in 27.45.

"I like classes with two phases," Bettendorf told World of Showjumping after his second win of the day. "Astuce is a very fast mare, but it is better for her if I can go slow at the beginning of the course. If I try to go fast all the way, she can get a bit too hot so this concept works for us. My plan going in was to win, because I have one horse here for the big classes and the other two horses are for the 1.45m-1.50m classes. This was a good start for the weekend." 

Julien Gonin (FRA) and Estrella de La Batia (Diamant de Semilly x Lando, bred by Sabine Dechamboux) placed third in 27.86, while Conor Swail (IRL) and Casturano (Castelan 3 x Canturo, bred by Detlef Hennings) finished fourth in 28.02 and Mehdi Roessli-Bobjanschi (SUI) fifth in 28.09 aboard Valderana Tame (Panama Tame x Quick Star, bred by SCEA Brohier Denis).