Edited press release from the German Jumping and Dressage Derby Hamburg

Brazil's Yuri Mansur and the 11-year-old mare Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm (Chacco-Blue x VDL Zirocco Blue) won Saturday's CSI5* 1.60m Longines Grand Prix of Hamburg, worth 250 000 Euro. The Brazilian rider competed in Hamburg for the first time in 2015, and nine years later he has fulfilled a dream. “The show here in Hamburg is closely linked to us Brazilian riders,” said the proud winner. “We used to watch the broadcasts from Hamburg over and over again on television. When I was here for the first time, it was something absolutely special for me.” 

No less than fourteen out of the 50 horse-and-rider combinations that had qualified to start in Saturday's Longines Grand Prix at the 2024-edition of the traditional German Jumping and Dressage Derby in Hamburg cleared the first-round track set by the German course designer duo Frank Rothenberger and Peter Schumacher. In the jump-off, the top six delivered another clear; Mansur and Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm being the fastest of them all – taking the win in 42.96 seconds ahead of the current world number three Steve Guerdat (SUI) aboard Lancelotta (Falkenhof's Lancer x Orlando) in second in 44.33. 

As Mansur walked the course, he thought about whether his mare – who had to take a break from competition towards the end of last year – was fit enough for the difficult course. “But the way she jumped showed me that she is absolutely fit again,” Mansur said. 

The challenge of riding faster than Steve Guerdat in the jump-off was a big one. “Because it was my turn after Steve, I was able to see exactly how he rode the jump-off – I really took a risk and it paid off,” Mansur said. “Most horses go flat when you ride fast, but this mare jumps almost higher. That's what makes the difference with fantastic horses." 

With his 42.96 seconds, Mansur took almost four tenths of a second off Guerdat’s time and secured victory in the Longines Grand Prix. However, Guerdat was still very happy with the 11-year-old Lancelotta. “I haven't had her for that long and this was the biggest course she's jumped so far. Clear in both rounds; that was really great,” the reigning European champion said.

Andre Thieme (GER) and DSP Chakaria (Chap x Askari) took the third place with a time of 44.44 seconds, while Harry Charles (GBR) and Romeo 88 (Contact van de Heffinck x Orlando) finished fourth in 44.89 followed by Karim El Zoghby (EGY) aboard Zandigo (Zento x Concreto) in fifth in 46.26.

“If I had been second, eleven hundredths of a second behind, I would have been annoyed,” admitted André Thieme openly. “But I'm happy about the third place. I can clearly feel how Chakaria is improving from week to week. I didn't want to risk everything today and I'm super happy with my horse.”