Text © World of Showjumping
Ireland's Richard Howley and the 15-year-old Mansini Ltd (Caressini L x Marramas, bred by Johan Björk) won Saturday's CSI5*-W 1.50m Prize of Dach+Holztech GmbH at the 2024-edition of Longines CHI Classics Basel 2024.
"Mansini has been with me for a year now," Howley told World of Showjumping after his victory. "He is a very competitive horse and has brought me a lot of good results in the last year. He has won a lot of good 1.50m classes and jumped numerous clears in the Longines Global Champions Tour. Today's class was very competitive, with a difficult course and a few very tight turns. Mansini was very responsive on the turns, which made my life easier in the ring, and he has quite a big stride so I was able to do a few leave-outs, which I think gave me the time to win the class."
Counting for the Longines Ranking Group C, the 1.50m class judged as Table C had 40 horse-and-rider-combinations lined up at start. With a time of 55.02, Howley and Mansini Ltd spoiled a Swiss party when taking the win ahead of Switzerland's Barbara Schnieper and Judy KM (Joly St. Hubert x Saphir von der Rossi, bred by Kurt Marti) in second, while Janika Sprunger and Kinmar Scarlett (Akarad Hero Z x Lys de Darmen, bred by Luc Henry & Gerry Marron) placed third, followed by Martin Fuchs and Viper Z (Vigo d'Arsouilles x Grannus, bred by Guido Sperveslage) in fourth. Dutch rider Lars Kersten and Boebka vh Marienshof Z (Balou du Rouet x Marien, bred by Stal Marienshof) completed the top five.