Press release from Sotheby's International Realty CSIO Deauville, edited by World of Showjumping

Nina Mallevaey and the 10-year-old gelding Destine to Be (Diamant de Semilly x Grandilot) won Sunday’s CSIO3* 1.55m Sotheby’s International Realty de la région Normandie Grand Prix in Deauville, France.

Thanks to a lightning-fast second half of their jump-off round, the current world number seven got the better of the UAE’s Omar Abdoul Aziz al-Marzouqi and the extraordinary Enjoy de la Mûre (Vigo Cece x Sable Rose) who finished second, while Julien Épaillard guided his young Hacker d’Auge (Action Breaker x Diamant de Semilly) – already in fine form in Friday’s Longines Nations Cup – to third place.

Twelve years. Nina Mallevaey’s first, and only international win in Deauville dated back a little over twelve years. On 25 May 2014, the French rider won the Children’s CSIO Grand Prix, then held in the Calvados aboard Gilbert, an Oldenburg gelding she rode for two seasons. Sunday afternoon, the current world number seven took her destiny into her own hands aboard the aptly named Destine to Be to win the Sotheby’s International Realty de la région Normandie Grand Prix at the CSIO3* held at the Pôle International du Cheval Longines Deauville, a venue she had not visited for a CSI since 2020. She duly upheld the global pecking order, having been the top seed of the show.

The 2004 Olympic champion Rodrigo Pessoa opened the jump-off of nine horse-and-rider combinations in fine style with a Major Tom (born Nielsdaka van de Rhamdia Hoeve, Vagabond de La Pomme x Heartbreaker), who looked back to full form two and a half months out from the Aachen World Championships. The 40.24s posted by the Brazilian and his chestnut ultimately earned them fourth place. Julien Épaillard, based some thirty kilometres away at his Haras de la Bosquetterie, bettered that with a time of 39.45s, though without taking his usual risks, understandably, as he was riding Hacker d’Auge, an Action-Breaker son just nine years old and contesting only his second 1.55m Grand Prix. With the former rider of Caracole de la Roque thus in the lead, Nina Mallevaey showed all her well-known determination to steer her excellent son of Diamant de Semilly to his first international Grand Prix win. Partners for a little over two years and already winners of a 1.55m class in Wellington in early January, the pair produced a good start to the jump-off and an absolutely sensational second half, crossing the line 1.25s ahead of Julien Épaillard and his Hacker.

Riding his Olympic star Enjoy de la Mûre,  nineteenth at the Paris 2024 Games, the UAE’s Omar Abdoul Aziz al-Marzouqi did everything he could to dethrone Nina Mallevaey. With a time of 39.02s, the pair secured an excellent second place. The host nation’s Penelope Leprevost and Ehning Flamingo (Cardento x Diamant de Semilly) finished fifth behind Mallevaey, Al Marzooqi, Epaillard and Pessoa.