Text © World of Showjumping

“I'm of course delighted with how Delta jumped, once again,” Italy’s Giulia Martinengo Marquet – who placed seventh with Delta Del’Isle (Tibet Tame x Grain de Soleil) on day one of the Longines FEI Jumping European Championship 2025 in A Coruña, Spain – tells World of Showjumping as the second round is about to get underway at Casas Novas Equestrian Center. “He was amazing. He already felt great in the warm-up. I started the course probably not taking too much risks; already for the third fence, I could have been much tighter, but I didn't feel it. And for the wall, I thought that everyone for sure would do the inside turn – but then I had some good advice to go around.” 

“When I felt that Delta was jumping so good, I was a little bit braver for the second part of the course and we were a little bit smoother and a little bit more risky,” Martinengo Marquet explained about her first round of the championship. “I did seven to the last combination, which was not the first plan, but Delta was jumping so amazing that I thought I could take that that risk – and it paid off.”  

Team Italy sits fifth after the first day, but after Paolo Paini and Casal Dorato’s dramatic fall on Wednesday, Marco Bergomi’s squad is left with only three horse-and-rider combinations. “I think that Italy did great yesterday, even though we had the fall from Paulo,” Martinengo Marquet said. “Today, he will not start and we will not have the drop-score to count on which makes it quite tough for us. However, the other horses have been jumping good, so we are trying to keep it together and believe that we can do something good.”  

“I only need to stay focused and somehow try to enjoy it,” Martinengo Marquet – currently 1.24 points off the lead – reflected on her individual chances. “I had so many thoughts about this, but in the end, I try to tell myself to enjoy the moment. I have one of the best horses out there and he only needs the best ride I can give him. I am in the best position I ever had in championship with such a good horse. He has delivered so many good rounds so far, and he only needs the best Giulia he can have.”