Press release from the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour

After a lightning fast jump-off, Harold Boisset (FRA) and T’Obetty du Domaine (Kashmir Van Schuttershof x Diams du Grasset) went off with the win in Sunday’s CSI2* Grand Prix presented by CHG – Construcciones Hispano Germanas S.A – at the Autumn MET II 2019. Sunday’s jump-off was a real speedy affair, but Boisset was in a league of his own today – beating runners-up Katharina Offel (GER) and Elien (Carambole x Mermus R) by a second. 

Eighteen of the 64 riders in the 1.45m Grand Prix counting for the world ranking moved on to the jump-off after producing clears over Frank Rothenberger’s first-round track. “There were quite a few clears in the first round, maybe because the time allowed was not really a factor today,” Boisset explained. 

As third to go in the jump-off, Maxime Harmegnies (BEL) put his Easy Boy (Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve x Andiamo) into top gear – going flat out – to cross the finish line in a very quick time of 38.68 seconds and the pressure was on. 

Four riders later, it was time for Boisset and as always the French rider went all in. “I was going in half-way into the jump-off, and already two riders had been going really fast so I knew if I wanted to have a chance to win I had to give everything,” Boisset said after finishing in an incredible 37.07 seconds. 

Matthew Sampson (GBR) gave it a good go, but still had to settle in right behind Boisset despite a great run to the final oxer with Geneve R (Eldorado Vd Zeshoek x Berlin) – stopping the clock at 38.18 seconds. Another rider later, and it was Katharina Offel’s turn to give Boisset a run for the money but despite giving it a great shot with her speedy mare Elien she had to slot into second place after crossing the finish line in 38.07 seconds. None of the remaining riders managed to catch up with the top three, but Anthony Condon (IRL) squeezed into fourth between Sampson in third and Harmegnies in fifth. 

“I have had T’Obetty du Domaine since she was four years old, so we know each other inside out which makes it a bit easier. She is super careful, and a real winner,” Boisset smiled as he spoke about his fantastic mare. “Today, I think I won it on the last fences. I was lucky to have a very good shot to the penultimate vertical and then I just tried everything to the last oxer!”

Boisset is a real regular in the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour’s winner’s circle. “I have been coming to the MET from the very first year, and every time I come back here the facilities have been further improved. My horses really like it here, and so do I. The Tour is simply really well organised,” Boisset concluded. 

The Autumn MET II runs for another two weeks, concluding with a CSI3* from the 12th to the 17th of November.