Edited press release from Jumping International Dinard

Thirteen pairs with eight different nationalities had chosen to take up the biggest challenge of the day at International Jumping Dinard – the CSI3* Laiterie de Montaigu Derby, one of the highlights in the Val Porée stadium this weekend. As for previous editions, the derby attracted an enthusiastic and knowledgeable crowd cheering horses and riders on under the Breton sun. 

The French course designer Jean François Morand had built a 1100 meters long course, almost twice as long as a conventional round, with twenty-one 1.45m fences and twenty-four jumps, some of them fixed and natural – and the whole round had to be completed in a sustained rhythm of 176 seconds.

After signing the only clear round of the class, in time of 171’’31, the Belgian 24-year-old Andres Vereecke clinched the victory with the 10-year-old mare Di Gute Folia (Diamant de Semilly x Calando I). Delighted with his first participation in Dinard, Vereecke also jumped the first Derby of his career and promised to be back next year. Placed second, Irish rider Dermott Lennon and Gelvins Touch (Touchdown x Diamond's Lad) finished with a score of four faults in a time of 172’’23. The best French rider and placed third with Ascot des Ifs (Quick Star x Ohio van de Padenborre) was Thomas Rousseau with a time of 174’’53.

Prior to the Derby, Penelope Leprevost took a popular home win in the CSI5* 1.50m speed class presented by Conseil Régional de Bretagne. France’s leading lady rider had partnered up with Verite Une Prince (Number One d'Iso x Rosire), shaving off 0.04 seconds on Jerome Guery’s leading time with Eras Ste Hermelle (Vargas de Ste Hermelle x Andiamo). World no. one Daniel Deusser placed third with Casallvano (Casall x Gestion Silvano N), a second behind Leprevost, while fourth went to Roger Yves Bost on Bluemuch des Baleines (Chacco-Blue x Clinton) and fifth to Mario Deslauriers on Cloud 39 (Clarimo x Quintero).