Text © World of Showjumping

Italy’s own Piergiorgio Bucci and the 11-year-old stallion Pallieter Vd N. Ranch (Cornet Obolensky x Toulon) took an emotional home win when topping Sunday’s CSI5* 1.60m Rolex Grand Prix as the 100^th edition of CSIO Roma Piazza di Siena concluded in the picturesque setting of Villa Borghese in the heart of Rome.

Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix marked the second of the seven legs in this year’s Rolex Series. “This victory came in front of all the most important figures in equestrian and Italian sport. I must thank them for what they do for us. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to give something back in some way,” Bucci said in a press release from CSIO Roma Piazza di Siena.

"In Germany, for example, our sport is more popular than in Italy,” Bucci continued. “We’re getting there. We’re all working together to make it increasingly popular. My responsibility is to be as fair as possible to my horse and to show fans and the public — including the large audience in Rome that isn’t part of the equestrian world — how closely we’re bonded with our horses. The result is wonderful when it comes, but if it doesn’t, we must still put first and foremost the respect that the horses, our opponents and our fans deserve.”

As the only double clear of the day, Bucci took the win ahead of Jörne Sprehe (GER) and Toys (Toulon x Quidam de Revel) in second and Richard Vogel (GER) on Cloudio (Casall x Cassini) in third, while Marilyn Little (USA) with La Contessa (License x Cornet’s Prinz) finished fourth and Wilma McMahon (SWE) aboard Cicci BJN (Ci Ci Senjor Ask x Tornesch 1042) fifth.