Edward Levy (FRA) and the 16-year-old mare Rebeca LS (HH Rebozo x Cassini I) won Sunday's CSI5* 1.60m Grand Prix Hubside Store presented by Indexia at Hubside Jumping in Grimaud, France.
Twelve of the 39 horse-and-rider combinations in the class jumped clear in the first round and moved on to the jump-off, where five pairs delivered another clear round. Fastest of them was Levy, who stopped the clock at 39.35 seconds. Harry Charles (GBR) was the closest to Levy, with a time of 39.44 seconds aboard the 11-year-old mare Aralyn Blue (Chacco-Blue x Ludwig AS). Jérôme Guery (BEL) and Grupo Prom Diego (Verdi TN x Gran Corrado) finished third after recording a time of 39.48 in the jump-off, while two French riders followed as fourth and fifth – Roger Yves Bost on Cassius Clay VDV Z (Calvino Z x Wolfgang) and Kevin Staut on Cheppeta (Chepetto x Cash).
"It's funny, this morning I felt more stressed than usual! I felt that Rebeca LS was in such good shape that I put a bit of pressure on myself. I really wanted to perform well," Levy said in a press release from Hubside Jumping. "On Thursday, Rebeca was already second in the big class and today she was amazing in the Grand Prix. The Grand Prix course was quite big, but the horses jump really well here because of the excellent facilities, so whatever the course, there are enough clear rounds. I'm obviously delighted! I was already second in a 5* star Grand Prix here, won by Steve Guerdat and I have won some Grands Prix before, but none of them were like this. This is my first win in a real 5* Grand Prix so I am very happy. Rebeca really deserved to win! It's also a victory for the whole team at the Haras de l’Ecaude because everyone had faith in this mare since the beginning. She only needs a very simple routine daily. It's all about managing morale, our bond, and trust. In the ring, she gives us back a hundredfold the love we give her and that's what makes her an extraordinary mare. I really wanted her to shine at this level! To preserve her, I chose not to ride her in Nations Cups but rather in classic Grands Prix. But I will be in La Baule next weekend with other horses and my objectives are of course the French team and the championships and I continue to work hard for that.”