Karel Cox (BEL) and the 9-year-old Nueva Epoca de Regor (Nabab de Reve x Querlybet Hero) won Thursday's CSIO5* 1.50m qualifier for the Longines Falsterbo Grand Prix, presented by Trikem, at Falsterbo Horse Show in Sweden. 

The 1.50m was a competition against the clock and consisted of 12 obstacles and 14 efforts, with the faults spreading out all over the course, even though the oxer at number seven and the combination at number eleven – an oxer, vertical – caused a bit more trouble than the rest of the fences. 

Cox finished his round in 61.11 seconds and outclassed the rest of the field when winning by 3.13 seconds. The runner-up position went to Andreas Schou (DEN) and Granate (Baltic VDL x Indoctro) after the pair stopped the clock on 64.24 seconds. Stephanie Holmen (SWE) made sure the hosts were represented on the podium when stopping the clock on 64.48 seconds, riding Flip’s Little Sparrow (Cardento x Robin Z). 

The fourth place went to Johnny Pals (NED) with Fernando (For Pleasure x San Patrignano Corrado), while Marc Dilasser (FRA) took the fifth place riding Arioto du Gevres (Diamant de Semilly x Qualisco III). 

Earlier in the day, Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) won the 1.45m Kellfri Prize riding Crack Balou (Balou du Reventon x Chacco-Blue). The second place went to Harrie Smolders (NED) with Escape Z (Emerald x Heartbreaker), followed by Edward Levy (FRA) with Sirius Black (Calisco du Pitray x Laudanum), Francesco Turturiello (ITA) with Made In’t Ruytershof (Norton D’Eole x Diamant de Semilly) and Hessel Hoekstra (NED) with Famariloma (Azteca VDL x Ahorn).