Press release from Jumping Verona, edited by World of Showjumping

Piergiorgio Bucci (ITA) brought day two at Jumping Verona to the perfect close with a thrilling victory in the CSI5*-W 1.55m Crivelli Prize riding the fabulous grey stallion Pallieter vd N. Ranch (Cornet Obolensky x Toulon). 

Course designer Uliano Vezzani (ITA) set a tough task in the first round in which there were three eliminations and eight decisions to retire. However, eleven horse-and-rider combinations found the key to the 13-fence track and with three Italians through to the second-round jump-off, the crowd were kept on the edges of their seats.

Fourth to go, it was French star Simon Delestre who set the target with the first clear with the nine-year-old stallion Gatsby du Tillard (President x Diamant de Semilly), who raced through the timers in 38.02 seconds. It seemed very likely he would be overtaken by his compatriot, Julien Epaillard, who shaved almost a second off that with Acatitla LS (Clearway x Alcamera de Moyon) – only to leave the second-last fence on the floor.

Spain’s Armando Trapote and Caept’n Hook (Conthargos x Calido I) were foot-perfect but didn’t threaten the lead when stopping the clock on 40.06. Like Epaillard, Great Britain’s Robert Whitaker and Gentlemen vh Veldhof (Quite Easy x Calido I) also clipped the penultimate oxer while posting a competitive time, but Bucci and Pallieter made no mistake. Cutting every corner without losing balance and galloping every inch of the way, the Italian pair scorched through the finish in 36.55 seconds to really put it up to the remaining three.

Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander and Iron Dames Cydello (Cascadello x Forsyth FRH) left all the timber intact, but their time of 40.16 seconds would only be good enough for fifth place when Germany’s Richard Vogel and the ten-year-old Phenyo van het Keysersbos (Corydon van T&L x Heartbreaker) came closest to Bucci’s winning team when the clock showed 36.66 seconds for runner-up spot. Vogel looked set to topple the Italian coming down the last line, but was denied the win by just 0.11 seconds. Delestre, Trapote and Tops-Alexander lined up in the next three places.

Bucci, one of the most popular riders on the Italian and international circuit, was delighted with his well-deserved result. “I’m very, very proud and very, very happy – it’s my first big win with this horse. I’m riding him for no more than three or four months and it’s a fantastic horse, now we really start to understand each other. He’s competitive, intelligent and I’m really happy for him and for his owner Francesca who is here. This is the best place to start winning with him! I’ve had a lot of great years at Verona but never a great result like this one! So it’s a bit special," he said.

“This horse is so clever. I call him Artificial Intelligence, he’s the type of horse that’s always thinking with me so it’s great to ride him. The quality and such a cool brain, it’s fantastic and I feel really lucky to have him," Bucci said of the attractive grey who has also been competed by fellow-Italians Alberto Zorzi, Giampiero Garafalo and Filippo Bassan since ridden by Dutchman Loewie Joppen up to September 2024.