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A dream comes true for Victor Bettendorf in the CSI5* 1.60m €400,000 Grand Prix Hermès

Sunday, 19 March 2023
CSI5* Saut Hermès 2023

Photo © Nanna Nieminen/WoSJ.
Riding the Mégret-family's 12-year-old Mr. Tac, Victor Bettendorf won the CSI5* Grand Prix Hermès in Paris. Photo © Nanna Nieminen for World of Showjumping.

 

Text © World of Showjumping

 


 

A dream came true for Victor Bettendorf in Sunday’s CSI5* €400,000 Grand Prix Hermès at the 2023-edition of Saut Hermès in Paris, France. After competing in the U25 classes at the Saut Hermès ten years ago, Bettendorf returned to the 2023-edition of the iconic show in the heart of the French capital – only this time, as a senior. Riding the Mégret-family's 12-year-old Mr. Tac (Non Stop x Toulon), Bettendorf took the top honours in one of the most prestigious Grand Prix classes in the international showjumping calendar. 

"Thanks to the Mégret-family, I have the chance to ride him," Bettendorf said about Mr. Tac, a horse he knows inside out as he has ridden him already as a young horse. "I competed here at Saut Hermès as an Under 25 rider ten years ago, and it is really a dream come true to just compete here as a senior this weekend. However, I really thought that Simon would be faster than me in the jump-off!" 

Photo © Nanna Nieminen/WoSJ.
"I am very grateful for my horse Monaco, he was again in very good shape today," second placed Harrie Smolders said. "However, hats off to Victor and Mr. Tac, they were outstanding today. I don't exactly know where I lost it." Photo © Nanna Nieminen for World of Showjumping.

With 40 of the world's very best horse-and-rider-combinations at start, the 1.60m track set by the duo of masterminds Santiago Varela and Gregory Bodo left the riders with no margin for errors. Starting with a green oxer at fence number one, the riders were faced with the Hermès wall at fence number two, and after the yellow upright at fence number three the questions came in quick succession: A flowing six strides from fence three to the blue oxer at fence four was followed by a very forward four to the oxer-vertical double at fence five. From fence six, most riders opted for five forward strides to approach the vertical-vertical-oxer triple combination at fence seven, while some took the option of six, taking extra space in their turn. However, many of those saw the b-element hit the ground. The fences eight, nine and ten followed each other on an S-shaped bended line, with five forward strides between them, while a plank waited at fence eleven. Followed by five strides to an oxer with a liverpool underneath as the penultimate fence, the course finished with a blue vertical as fence thirteen. While the faults spread out, the time allowed set to 63 seconds left the riders with no extra time for thinking, and a single time penalty kept German legend Marcus Ehning and Priam du Roset (Plot Blue x Tanael du Serein) – who had the difficult task of being the pathfinders of the day – out of the jump-off. 

Photo © Nanna Nieminen/WoSJ
"Thanks to the Mégret-family, I have the chance to ride him," Bettendorf said about his winning mount Mr. Tac. Photo © Nanna Nieminen for World of Showjumping.

Gerrit Nieberg (GER) and Blues d'Aveline CH (Baloussini x Coriall 2) posted the first clear round of the Grand Prix, and were soon joined by Wilm Vermeir (BEL) and Iq Van Het Steentje (Toulon x Kannan) who secured a jump-off. Pieter Devos (BEL) and MoM's Toupie de La Roque (Kannan x Nabab de Reve) jumped the third clear of the day, and were later joined by Bettendorf and Mr. Tac, Ioli Mytilineou (GRE) and Levis de Muze (Elvis Ter Putte x Tinka's Boy), Harrie Smolders (NED) and Monaco N.O.P. (Cassini x Contender), Francois Xavier Boudant (FRA) and Brazyl du Mezel (Haloubet de Gorze x Apache d'Adriers), Roger Yves Bost (FRA) and Cassius Clay VDV Z (Calvino Z x Wolfgang), Simon Delestre (FRA) and Cayman Jolly Jumper (Hickstead x Quaprice du Bois Margot), Marlon Modolo Zanotelli (BRA) and Grand Slam VDL (Cardento 933 x Heartbreaker), Koen Vereecke (BEL) and Kasanova de La Pomme (Bamako de Muze x Malito de Reve), Mark McAuley (IRL) and Jasco v. Bisschop (Dulf van de Bisschop x Krunch de Breve) and Gregory Cottard (FRA) aboard Bibici (Norman Pre Noir x Nelfo du Mesnil) – making it a jump-off between 14 pairs. 

Photo © Nanna Nieminen/WoSJ.
Third placed Wilm Vermeir was a content man as well: "I am very happy, we had a very nice jump-off and if I had to do it again, I would do the same," he said. Photo © Nanna Nieminen for World of Showjumping.

In the jump-off, Bettendorf and Mr. Tac (Non Stop x Toulon) posted a picture-perfect round to stop the clock at 32.08 – a time that proved unbeatable despite the best efforts from his rivals. Harrie Smolders (NED) and Monaco N.O.P. (Cassini x Contender) came the closest, taking the runner-up position with a time of 32.76, while Wilm Vermeir (BEL) and Iq Van Het Steentje (Toulon x Kannan) placed third in 33.36. Pieter Devos (BEL) and MoM's Toupie de La Roque (Kannan x Nabab de Reve) finished fourth in 33.79 and Olivier Philippaerts (BEL) fifth in 34.05 aboard H&M Legend of Love (Landzauber x Corgraf).

"I would like to move up one place," second placed Smolders joked afterwards when asked if he would want to do anything differently when it came to his strategy for the jump-off. "I am very grateful for my horse Monaco, he was again in very good shape today. However, hats off to Victor and Mr. Tac, they were outstanding today. I don't exactly know where I lost it. Monaco is a fast horse, but he is not the fastest mover; he has a lot of knee-action, and I think Mr. Tac has a canter that is lower to the floor and faster every stride."

Third placed Wilm Vermeir was a content man as well: "I am very happy, we had a very nice jump-off and if I had to do it again, I would do the same," he said. "This is a beautiful ring, and when the jumps come out the turns as fast as they do here, you need a horse with a lot of scope – which my horse has."



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