France's Julien Epaillard and the 10-year-old mare Caracole de La Roque (Zandor Z x Kannan) took their third win of the weekend on home soil at Jumping International St-Lô when the pair topped Sunday's CSI4* 1.55m Grand Prix du Département de La Manche. This was the third year in a row that Epaillard won the Grand Prix in St-Lô: In 2021, Epaillard won with Queeletta (Quality 9 x Landor S), in 2020 with Billabong du Roumois (Mylord Carthago x Papillon Rouge).

Seven pairs out of the starter field of 50 cleared the first-round track and joined the deciding jump-off, where the audience was kept at edge of their seats until the very last rider. Stopping the clock on 33.55, Epaillard – the current world number three – was leading the way as the last horse-and-rider-combination of the class, Mathieu Billot (FRA) on Baschung Courcelle (Lamm de Fetan x Jazz Band Courcelle), entered the ring. Crossing the finish line in 33.61, Billot gave it his best shot but had to settle for the sixth place when the last fence fell to the ground.

Double clear in 34.95 seconds, Maelle Martin (FRA) on Bise Des Bardellieres (Lamm de Fetan x Persan II) took the runner-up position, while Nicolas Layec (FRA) on Best of Iscla (Diamant de Semilly x Kannan) placed third, Laurent Goffinet (FRA) on Atome Des Etisses (Mylord Carthago x Quidam de Revel) fourth and Jessica Burke (IRL) on Nikey HH (Herald van'T Ruytershof x Upsilon vd Heffinck) fifth.