Pius Schwizer made it a double for the hosts on the opening day of Longines CSI Basel. First the Swiss rider won the Prize of BMW X5, then he triumphed in the Prize of the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois. 

In the biggest class of the day, a 1.50m Table A against the clock, Schwizer rode the 10-year-old Cortney Cox (Carlo x Espri) to victory followed by Austria’s Max Kühner on Cornet Kalua (Cornet Obolensky x Platin) and Belgium’s Pieter Devos on Gin D (Clinton I x Skippy II).

For a long time it didn't look like there would be a lot of clear rounds. Of the first 20 horse-and-rider combinations in the class, only the very first rider, Portugal’s Rodrigo Giesteira Almeida on Isolde van de Heffinck (Contact van de Heffinck x Orlando), remained clear in 62.78 seconds. It was Germany’s Pia Reich with Cool and Easy (Contender x Riverman), owned by Paul Bücheler, who replaced him at the top position to eventually end fourth. To the delight of the Swiss spectators, Pius Schwizer set a strong new leading time after stopping the clock at 59.26 seconds. Kühner and Cornet Kalua came the closest to Schwizer, but in the end they also missed almost two seconds at the top time. 

“This victory makes me double happy, because Cortney Cox was recently bought by a woman from Basel. Cortney Cox gives me the feeling that everything is so easy, he can do everything,” Schwizer said after the win. 

Schwizer’s victory in the BMW X5 1.45m came on Balou Rubin R (Balou du Rouet x Couleur-Rubin) with a brilliant ride ahead of the two French riders Kevin Staut on Ayade de Septon (Wandor van de Mispelaere x Belle d'Avril du Mazy) and Olivier Robert on Vangog du Mas Garnier (Windows vh Costersveld x Quidam de Revel).