The five-star competitions at the 61st edition of CHI Geneva kicked off in Palexpo on Thursday, and it was Simon Delestre (FRA) and the 9-year-old gelding Iniesta V (Zambesi TN x No Limit) that took the win. With a time of 25.26 seconds, the former world number one bested a field of 53 horse-and-rider-combinations in the CSI5* 1.45m Prix Swiss Wine Genève two-phase class. 

"Iniesta is for sure one of the biggest hopes we have in our string of horses at the moment," Delestre said after his victory. "He keeps improving all the time, in Verona he was fifth in a big class and he won a national Grand Prix in Lyon. He has been very consistent lately. I could leave out strides thanks to his massive canter, and a big arena like here suits him." 

"Winning here in Geneva is always nice," Delestre added. "This was a good start."

Melanie Cloarec (FRA) and the 9-year-old Nora de Mariposa Pleville (Elvis Ter Putte x Berlin) took the runner-up position with a time of 25.18, while Willem Greve (NED) and the 10-year-old Highway M TN (Eldorado vd Zeshoek x Chellano Z) placed third when stopping the clock at 26.60 seconds. Victor Bettendorf (LUX) and Simolo de La Roque Z (Spartacus TN x Casall) finished fourth and Gilles Thomas (BEL) aboard Luna van'T Dennehof (Prince van de Wolfsakker x Quidam de Revel) fifth.