Niels Bruynseels (BEL) on the lovely 11-year-old mare Gancia de Muze (Malito de Reve x Nimmerdor) won Saturday’s Coupe de Gevene at CHI Geneva. This class offered the last chance for the riders to qualify for Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix and the 1.55m course demanded a special effort; the course consisted of six obstacles with 13 efforts, with only the first fence being a single one and the rest being combinations. A total of 53 pairs lined up for the challenge, 25 of them still fighting for one of the five spots on offer for Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix. 

”She is a typical mare," Niels said about Gancia de Muze after the prize giving. ”When she is on good form, she only wants to win. But when she has a bad day… everything is impossible," he smiled. ”I am very happy with her today. We did not have the best warm-up for the jump-off because she lost a shoe and it took a while to get it back on. I heard that Henrik was very fast, so I knew I had to take every chance.” 

Eight pairs cleared the demanding first round and with Philipp Weishaupt (GER) opting not to start in the jump-off, it came down to a battle of seven. Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) on the 10-year-old gelding Chacanno (Chacco-Blue x Kannan) set the standard by clocking a time of 31,40 seconds, that in the end was good enough for third place. Niels Bruynseels (BEL) and Gancia de Muze did a blazing fast round in 29,92 seconds, securing the win for the pair. Jèrôme Guery (BEL) on the 11-year-old stallion Garfield de Tiji des Templiers (Quasimodo Z x Goldspring de Lauzelle) got close, but had to settle for the runner-up position after stopping the clock on 30,12 seconds, pushing von Eckermann to third. Paul Estermann (SUI) on the 9-year-old stallion Curtis Sitte (Ugano Sitte x Chellano Z) took the fourth place with a time of 31,41 seconds and the fifth spot went to Alexis Deroubaix (FRA) on the 10-year-old gelding Timon d’Aure (Mylord Carthago x Drakkar Des Hutins) with a time of 34,02 seconds. Michael G Duffy (IRL) on Lapuccino 2 (SIEC Livello) placed sixth and Roger Yves Bost (FRA) on Sydney Une Prince (Baloubet du Rouet x Alfa D’Elle) seventh.