From press release by Hubside Jumping

Piergiorgio Bucci (ITA) finished on top in the CSI4* 1.55m Grand Prix at the Hubside Jumping Fall Tour in St. Tropez. Together with Driandria (Carthino Z x Sheraton), Bucci was the fastest in the jump-off when he crossed the finish line in 30.01 seconds. 

Forty-six horse-and-rider combinations took part in the CSI4* Grand Prix on this last Sunday of September. Eleven combinations managed to qualify for the jump-off over the course designed by Louis Konickx. 

First to go in the jump-off, Jasmin Chen’s (TPE) hopes were dashed when she had one rail down on the second fence in the jump-off. Bruno Garez, the first French rider, had one down on the second element of the double while Morgan Bordat (FRA) and Julien Gonin (FRA) were also unlucky and left the ring with four faults each. 

Thierry Rozier (FRA) and Star (Singular Joter x Caretino) put a smile back on the faces of the French members of the public, with a perfect fast round, in a time of 31.72 seconds. After Rozier, Marie Demonte (FRA) and Tanael des Bonnes (Watch Me Van’t Zorgvliet x Don Pierre), who have only been competing together for a few weeks, also had a perfect jump-off round — but finished in 32.59 seconds and went into second place provisionally.

Although Luis Sabino Gonçalves (POR) had two rails down, and went into eleventh place in the final line-up, the last competitors to go visibly had no intention of letting a French rider win the class. Yuri Mansur (BRA), Eugenio Garza Perez (MEX), Janika Sprunger (SUI) and Piergorgio Bucci all had clear rounds. And with an amazing time of 30.01 seconds, Bucci — last to go in the jump-off — was the winner, ahead of Eugenio Garza Perez with Armani SI Z (Asca Z x Cumano) in 30.27 seconds and France’s Thierry Rozier.

“Driandria is not usually the fastest, but the jump-off was perfect for her. She jumped really well in the collecting ring before the jump-off, so when we went into the competition ring, I decided to give it my best shot," Bucci concluded.