Petronella Andersson (SWE) on the 13-year-old gelding Entre Nous (Conan Z x Ohio van de Padenborre) took the beautiful Piazza di Siena arena in Rome by storm on the opening day of the CSIO5* competition.

Out of a field of 45 horse-and-rider combinations, Andersson took the top honours in the 1.50m against the clock class presented by Land Rover with a time of 65,91 seconds. Second place went to Shane Sweetnam (IRL) on the 9-year-old mare Indra van de Oude Heihoef (Casantos x Action-Breaker) with a time of 66,26 seconds. Karen Polle (JPN) on the 9-year-old gelding Kino (Lord Z x Chambertin) took the third place with a time of 67,71 seconds and the fourth place went to home hero Piergiorgio Bucci (ITA) on the 10-year-old gelding Heartbreaker vd Achterhoe (Bentley van de Heffinck x Catango Z) with a time of 68,39 seconds. Luca Marziani (ITA) on the 11-year-old gelding Saxo des Hayettes (Quartz Adelheid Z x Banboula du Thot) took the fifth spot with a time of 69,07 seconds.

The first five star class of the day, a 1.45m in two phases presented by MAG-JLT saw a very popular home win as Paolo Paini (ITA) raced to the finish line with his 10-year-old mare Clodia CSG (Quidam de Revel x Landgraf I) and took the win with a time of 24,21 seconds in the second phase. Jane Richard-Philips (SUI) on the 9-year-old Izmir van de Bayenne (Kashmir van Schuttershof x Nonstop) placed second with a time of 25,13 seconds in the second phase. Francesca Ciriesi (ITA) on the 14-year-old mare Alina 342 (Acord II x Grundstein) took the third place with a time of 25,18 seconds in the second phase, while 25,88 seconds earned Jeroen Dubbeldam (NED) and the 9-year-old mare Dokyra Fortuna (Canturano x Quasimodo Z) the fourth place. Fifth place went to Pius Schwizer (SUI) on the 9-year-old gelding Belcanto (Balou du Rouet x Colonado) after the pair clocked a time of 25,99 seconds in the second phase.

Text and picture © World of Showjumping by Nanna Nieminen