Marlon Modolo Zanotelli and Cornest, winners of the CSI5* 1.50m Audi Prize at The Dutch Masters. Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.
Text © World of Showjumping
Brazil's Marlon Modolo Zanotelli and Cornest (Balou du Reventon x Stakkatol) won Saturday night's CSI5* 1.50m Audi Prize at the 2024-edition of The Dutch Masters in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.
Only three horse-and-rider-combinations cleared the first-round track set by Dutch course designer Louis Konickx: Great Britain's Scott Brash and Hello Valentino (Diamantino x Careful 28), Brazil's Yuri Mansur aboard Catch Me Marathon (Contagio x Werther), as well as Zanotelli and Cornest.
Yuri Mansur and Catch Me Marathon placed second. Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.
As first out in the deciding jump-off, Brash collected eight penalties, followed by Zanotelli and Cornest who stopped the clock on 38.73 – setting the time to beat for his compatriot Mansur. However, with four faults in 40.40, Mansur had to settle for second while Zanotelli took the top honours and Brash completed the podium in third.
France's Kevin Staut and Cloe GP Z (Corrdino x Takashi van Berkenbroek) finished fourth as the fastest four-faulter from round one, followed by Ireland's Denis Lynch and Brooklynn Heights (Nabab de Reve x For Pleasure) in fifth.
"I really have to thank the Hellström-family for giving me the chance to ride him," Zanotelli said about the 11-year-old Cornest - here pictured on the phone with the owners. Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.
"It was a really tough course," Zanotelli commented to WoSJ afterwards. "My horse has been jumping amazing, already in Amsterdam where he did his first 1.60m Grand Prix and had one down on the last line. He has just been improving and improving, I really have to thank the Hellström-family for giving me the chance to ride him – he is such a special and talented horse," he said about the 11-year-old Cornest.
"The jump-off just worked out for me, I had the chance to see Scott a little bit with the lines and I could just go and do my round and put a little bit of pressure on Yuri, and hope it works out – and that's how it went today."
Lorenzo de Luca and Dirka de Blondel won the Van Schijndel Bouwgroep Indoor Derby. Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson/WoSJ.
Earlier during the evening, Italy's Lorenzo de Luca and his brilliant Dirka de Blondel (Very Berlin de Castel x Lauterbach) continued their winning form when taking top honours in the CSI5* 1.45m Van Schijndel Bouwgroep Indoor Derby ahead of their compatriot Emanuele Gaudiano and Jaja (Zirocco Blue VDL x Baloubet du Rouet) in second and Belgium's Gudrun Patteet aboard Sea Coast Monalisa van'T Paradijs (Bamako de Muze x Emerald) in third.
Then