Text © World of Showjumping

Saturday’s CSI4* 1.50m Prix de la Région Auvergne Rhône-Alpes in Bourg-en-Bresse – the last qualifier for Sunday’s four-star Grand Prix – saw only four horse-and-rider combinations from the 59 pairs at start clear the demanding first-round track designed by France’s very own Grégory Bodo.

The 13 best pairs from round one proceeded to the second round, where Ireland’s Mark McAuley and the 13-year-old stallion L’Arc en Ciel Z (L’Arc de Triomphe x San Remo) clocked the winning time of 39.61. Sweden’s Douglas Lindelöw and Hermosillo d’Aubigny (Cornet Obolensky x Messire Ardent) took the runner-up spot with a time of 40.29, while Austria’s Bianca Babanitz with Dakato (Diarado x Stakkato) completed the podium in third in 42.48 seconds, followed by Lucas Fournier (FRA) on Hockando de Riverland (Sunday de Riverland x Kannan) in fourth and Jean Luc Mourier (FRA) aboard Dionysos d’Aiguilly (Jarnac x Heartbreaker) in fifth.