Text © World of Showjumping

This week, the 2023/2024 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League has moved on to Bordeaux for the penultimate leg of the season and the five-star action got underway with a win for Great Britain's Harry Charles and Billabong du Roumois (Mylord Carthago x Papillon Rouge, bred by Philippe Berthol) in Friday night's CSI5*-W 1.50m Prix FFE Generali. 

Stopping the clock on 58.27, Charles – leading FEI U25 rider and current number 13 on the Longines Ranking – took the win ahead of home hero Roger Yves Bost (FRA) and Ballerine du Vilpion (Baloubet du Rouet x Quidam de Revel, bred by Christophe Legros) in second in 60.19. 

"It is nice to get the first win of 2024," Charles commented to World of Showjumping. "This horse is just amazing; when I do everything right with him, he becomes very hard to beat. This was nice for him; he is a French horse, on French soil, he must feel pretty much at home here. The last few months with him have been great, and I am very proud of how far we have come. He keeps me on my toes! He is a fantastic horse to have in the stable, I am very proud of him." 

2023 European Champion and current world number four Steve Guerdat (SUI) and Looping Luna (Lord Fauntleroy x Calido I, breeder unknown) placed third in 61.45, while Spain's Eduardo Alvarez Aznar and d'Orient Batilly (Numero Uno x Quaprice Boimargot Quincy, bred by Jean-Claude Viollet) finished fourth in 61.50, followed by Julien Anquetin (FRA) aboard Gravity of Greenhill (Nabab de Reve x Conterno-Grande, bred by Philip Gysbrecht and Lucien Haverhals) in fifth in 61.77.