Press release from Jumping Verona, edited by World of Showjumping

Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) put the home crowd in the best possible mood when galloping to victory in the CSI5*-W 1.50m Banca Passadore Speed at Jumping Verona 2025 on Friday evening.

Riding the 11-year-old Vasco 118 (Vivant x Chacco-Blue), the 39-year-old double-Olympian was twelfth to go of the 53 starters, and put it right up to the rest of the field when racing through the timers in 56.37 seconds.

Only Switzerland’s Barbara Schneiper and the 15-year-old mare Judy KM (Joly St. Hubert x Saphir von der Rossi) managed to get home faster, but the final two fences hit the floor before the clock showed their time of 56.30 seconds.

Runner-up spot went to Frenchman Kevin Staut who brought the exciting 9-year-old chestnut mare Kannonqulan (Kannan x Quantum) through the finish clear in 57.51, and third place went to the foot-perfect performance of Odin van’t Hanegoor (Kiekeboe x Thunder vd Zuuthoeve) who broke the beam in 57.77 seconds with Staut’s compatriot, Antoine Ermann, in the saddle. Ireland’s Jessica Burke and Express Trend (Future Trend x Condios) finished fourth (58.26), Great Britain’s Robert Whitaker and Gentleman vh Veldhof (Quite Easy x Calido I) finished fifth (60.00) and sixth place went to Italy’s Massimo Grossato and Bombreaker (Eldorado vd Zeshoek x Darco) (63.46).

Talking about his winning ride, Gaudiano said of the 11-year-old stallion – “Vasco is a great friend of mine, I know him since he was five. This year he already won a few ranking classes, he’s very quick so when he is clear it is easy to win with him. He’s careful, you can do one stride less when you have that option and that can help a lot!”

Asked if he thought he had been fast enough when he was leaving the arena Gaudiano replied – “in this sport you never know the result until the last rider, but it was quick enough today!” He reckoned a quick run over the first few fences and a strong ride to the final oxer was what clinched it for him. “It was a nice course to go fast," he said of Uliano Vezzani’s 12-fence test.

Gaudiano did have to push hard to that last fence because he was a little cautious over the penultimate oxer which was the undoing of many others in the class. “I jumped the one before the last not too quick and that’s why the last line was long for me. But first I wanted to jump clear at number 11 and then go quick," he explained.

Gaudiano has a couple of choices for Sunday’s Longines FEI World Cup qualifier and as yet doesn’t know which horse he will compete. “I will ride Nikolai today in the big class and then I will choose. It’s one of the first indoor shows for Nikolai but I also have Esteban who was great last week in Riyadh (Global Champions Tour), clear in the Grand Prix and one down in the jump-off. He’s in good form at the moment so we will see which horse is ready."