Text © World of Showjumping

Sweden's Henrik von Eckermann – current world number one – and the 10-year-old Calizi (Cellestial x Stakkatol, bred by Thomas Lengert and owned by Dufour Stables) won Friday's CSI4* 1.50m Premio La Mobiliare Assicurazioni at the 2023-edition of Longines CSI Ascona in Switzerland. 

With a time of 59.25 seconds, von Eckermann and Calizi were the fastest pair in the 1.50m class judged as Table A against the clock – taking the win ahead of Italy's Emanuele Gaudiano and Nikolaj de Music (Kannan x Nabab de Reve) in second in 59.59. The host nation's Niklaus Schurtenberger and C-Steffra (Clarimo x Lavall I) placed third in 62.26, while USA's Paris Sellon and Aconzina PS (Action-breaker x Conthargos) finished fourth followed by home rider Barbara Schnieper and Canice (Cascadello x Cornet Obolensky) in fifth. 

"It was a good start," von Eckermann commented to World of Showjumping. "This is a show I have never been to, so I am happy to have a good start to the weekend. I had a good draw and got to go in the end and saw Gaudiano, so I knew a little bit what I had to do and my plan worked out fine. It seems like Calizi likes Switzerland, as the last big class she won was actually in Basel."