All eyes on Ireland's Denis Lynch and Rubens LS La Silla tackling the 22-fence course to clinch the victory in Saturday's Derby Région Pays de la Loire at Jumping International La Baule.
Photos © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.
The derby included both an open water and a lake. Here runner-up Nicolas Delmotte's Denerys du Montceau clearing the water jump.
Steve Guerdat and Is-Minka tackling the natural elements.
Bryan Balsiger's Urbanus Z overdid the jumping coming down from this bank, and ended up getting himself in trouble on the following vertical. Nevertheless, the pair ended fourth with only four faults.
Edward Levy and Confidence d'Ass speeding through the lake to a fifth place after being the fastest of those on eight faults.
Robin Lesqueren didn't have a horse for the derby, so he got to borrow his Olympic eventing friend Thomas Carlile's Bary Louvo and the two of them did a solid performance.
There were different approcahes to getting into the lake. Olivier Robert's Vadrouille d'Avril needed some convincing...
.. while Rene Lopez Lizarazo's Cheyenne de la Violle splashed in...
... and Mark McAuley's Miebello literally flew in. The 18-year-old gelding looked fantastically fit; while he got an early fault on one of the normal fences, he made whatever else he came across around the long derby course look easy to finish with the fastest time and in third place.
Fully seated grand stands in La Baule, with a very enthusiastic crowd that followed the prize giving for the derby.
Rubens LS La Silla deserved all the applause!
Runner-up Daenerys du Montceau was too busy eating grass to care about the attention after his second place.
The derby season has kicked off with Denis Lynch and Rubens LS La Silla on top of the podium.
Then