Text © World of Showjumping

“He jumped well, he’s in great shape – so I hope that’s enough for the win,” Romain Duguet (SUI) said about Bel Canto de Boguin (Grenat de Grez x Arpege Pierreville) in a press release from Longines CHI Classics Basel 2026 prior to taking the win in Thursday’s CSI5*-W 1.45m Prize of Range Rover, a competition counting for the Longines Rankings Group D.

This week, the 2025/2026-season of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League makes its 8th stop in Basel, Switzerland, and the action at St. Jakobshalle got underway on Thursday with a home win for Duguet and the 15-year-old gelding Bel Canto de Boguin in the weekend’s first five-star ranking class. With a time of 25.45 in the second phase, Duguet took the top honours ahead of his compatriot Martin Fuchs (SUI) and Love de Vie (Grandorado TN x Vigo d’Arsouilles) who had to settle for second in 23.68.

Crossing the finish line in 24.16, Jos Verlooy (BEL) and Etundel de Marocy (Diamant de Semilly x President) placed third, while Hessel Hoekstra (NED) on Olimpic van de Sterhoeve (Dieu Merci van T&L x Carabas) followed only fractions behind in fourth in 24.18. Andreas Schou (DEN) aboard Convant (Conbassy x Vivant) finished fifth with a time of 24.23 in the second phase.