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A childhood dream comes true for Gregory Cottard in the CSI5*-W 1.60m Audi Grand Prix of Bordeaux

Sunday, 05 February 2023
CSI5*-W Jumping International de Bordeaux 2023

Photo © Nanna Nieminen/WoSJ
A childhood dream came true for Gregory Cottard today, when he took his first five-star Grand Prix victory in front of his home crowd in Bordeaux with his wonderful Cocaine du Val. Photo © Nanna Nieminen for World of Showjumping.

 

Text © World of Showjumping

 


 

Celebrating 50 years of emotions, the 2023-edition of Jumping International de Bordeaux could not have had a more fitting end than a French victory in Sunday afternoon’s CSI5*-W 1.60m Audi Grand Prix. A childhood dream came true for Gregory Cottard, who took his first five-star Grand Prix victory in front of his home crowd with his wonderful Cocaine du Val (Mylord Carthago x Si Tu Viens). “Coming to Bordeaux was stressful,” Cottard explained after his win. “It took me a day to relax and find my concentration. I have a special relationship with this show; I used to come here a lot as a teenager, and on Sunday evenings when I returned home there would only be one thing on my mind; ride, ride, ride – so I could one day come here and do what I had seen the big riders do back then. So yes, I did feel a bit of pressure!”

Among the 36 horse-and-rider-combinations at start in the Audi Grand Prix were some of the biggest names of the sport – both human and equine – and the 1.60m course set by the French course designer Jean Francois Morand reflected the quality of the competitors with its challenges. While the faults were quite spread out over the course that counted 13 obstacles and 16 efforts, a few parts proved more decisive than others. The oxer-vertical-vertical triple combination at fence five caused many faults, and it was there that Harrie Smolders (NED) and Bingo du Parc (Mylord Carthago x Diamant de Semilly), among others, had to see a pole fall, while Angelica Augustsson-Zanotelli (SWE) and Kalinka van de Nachtegaele (Epleaser van’T Heike x Cicero Z) as well as Jur Vrieling (NED) aboard Fiumicino van de Kalevallei (Plot Blue x Nabab de Reve) fell victims to the vertical-oxer combination at fence eleven. The penultimate white plank at fence number twelve ended the dreams of a clear round for Simon Delestre (FRA) and the impressive Iniesta V (Zambesi Tn x No Limit) and Julien Gonin (FRA) aboard Caprice de Guinfard (Mylord Carthago x Socrate de Chivre), while Pieter Devos and Claire Z (Clearway x Coronado) faulted on the very first fence. 

Photo © Nanna Nieminen/WoSJ
Gregory Cottard and Cocaine du Val, winners of the CSI5*-W 1.60m Audi Grand Prix in Bordeaux. Photo © Nanna Nieminen for World of Showjumping.

As pair number fourteen out, Gregory Cottard (FRA) and Cocaine du Val posted the first clear of the afternoon, lifting the roof in Bordeaux. Denmark’s Lars Bak Andersen and Carl-Heinz B (Chacco-Blue x Quality) secured a jump-off when jumping the second clear of the afternoon as pair number 27, while current world number one Henrik von Eckermann and the feisty Iliana (Cardento x Gentleman) delivered the third clear. After having won Saturday night’s World Cup with VDL Edgar M, Brazil’s Marlon Modolo Zanotelli and Grand Slam VDL (Cardento x Heartbreaker) joined in – making it a jump-off of four. 

In the jump-off, only Cottard and Cocaine du Val produced another clear round – stopping the clock on 35.40 and taking the win with the only double clear of the afternoon. While both Zanotelli and von Eckermann were quicker, a pole down for each meant they had to settle for second and third respectively behind the French home hero. Bak Andersen finished fourth, while Germany’s Daniel Deusser and Bingo Ste Hermelle (Number One d’Iso x Diamant de Semilly) took the fifth spot as the quickest four-faulters in round one. 

While Cottard is better known in the big classes with the wonderful Bibici, Cocaine du Val gave him his biggest win yet today. “Bibici has been more upfront, and has done the big classes while Cocaine has been more focused on the speed classes,” he explained about his two grey mares. “I made a change last year; for me it was a logic step to experiment a little bit and see how Cocaine does in the Grand Prix classes. And now I am happy I did it! Both of my mares are true warriors. Bibici is more nonchalant, while Cocaine has more energy and a huge heart; she gives her all.”

Photo © Nanna Nieminen/WoSJ
Marlon Modolo Zanotelli and Grand Slam VDL, runners-up in the Audi Grand Prix at Jumping International de Bordeaux 2023. Photo © Nanna Nieminen for World of Showjumping.

“I got Cocaine when she was eight,” Cottard continued to speak about the 11-year-old mare. “Back then, she had done 1.35m amateur classes, but we got along well and won really quickly on 1.45m level. I got into her game being easy and quick and used her mostly in speed classes – maybe even too much, in the sense that she was always left as the second horse behind Bibici. She has a very strong character, and she has her little quirks. Before, she had a young rider, so she had a mindset of being strong and taking over; it took some time to find the right adjustments for us to communicate. She does not like other horses, but she finds comfort in humans, and enjoys human contact.”

“I think people who are against equestrian sports don’t understand exactly what we do, and how connected we are to our horses,” Cottard said. “My horses are happy athletes and enjoy the competition; I can really feel how they grow when we enter the arena, they enjoy this sport. I ride all my horses in a simple bridle without a noseband. I felt I needed to do it, and for the last two years did a lot of research – and I really enjoy doing this work and finding solutions. I also work with a horse whisperer, to understand how to really treat horses and how horses understand our emotions and how our emotions influence them. Personally, I find mental preparation very important, and the French team does it a lot. I had to do it because I was always super nervous and overwhelmed, when I did championships or bigger events, it was always very stressful. Therefore, I felt like I really needed to work on that because I could feel it had an impact on my horses. Still today I feel like I need to work on managing my stress and my emotions better. I also work with a physical trainer along a mental one, but for the technical part of riding I only have lessons from Henk Nooren when I see him for the training sessions with the French national team.” 

Photo © Nanna Nieminen/WoSJ
“Coming to Bordeaux was stressful,” Cottard explained after his win. “It took me a day to relax and find my concentration. I have a special relationship with this show; I used to come here a lot as a teenager, and on Sunday evenings when I returned home there would only be one thing on my mind; ride, ride, ride - so I could one day come here and do what I had seen the big riders do back then." Photo © Nanna Nieminen for World of Showjumping.

Cottard now has his eyes set for the 14th and final leg in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Western European League in Gothenburg, Sweden. “I need to get more experience at five-star events; I need the routine,” he said about his plans for the coming weeks. “I feel more serene this year after having done more big classes, and more confident when I get into the ring. However, the victory today was very emotional. I am thinking about Paris 2024, because both of my mares have the potential to go. I have to ride more in front of the French public to get used to the feeling, and the energy the crowds give you.” 

And perhaps this afternoon, Cottard’s childhood dream coming true inspired another teenager to pursue their dreams…  



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