On Friday they were runners-up in the Longines Speed Challenge, on Saturday they went all the way to the top in the Emirates Gold Cup at the Longines Masters of Los Angeles: Kevin Staut and Elky van het Indihof HDC (Toulon x Thunder van de Zuuethoeve) are definitely in top form. 

The 1.55m competition with a winning round had 24 horses and riders in it, and ten of the best moved on to race against the clock. 

The French riders were a domination force in this class, with three of them filling up the podium. Staut was the fastest one in the winning round with a time of 35.52 seconds. Hot on his heels was Simon Delestre on Chesall Zimequest (Casall x Concerto II), who crossed the finish line on a time of 35.79 seconds. Third place went to another in-form couple; Julien Epaillard on his home bred Diamant de Semilly-son Safari d'Auge stopping the clock on 36.04 seconds.

Earlier in the day, the 1.45m City of Long Beach Trophy went to Switzerland's Steve Guerdat on Concetto Son (Concetto x Drosselklang II). Almost a second behind Guerdat's time in the jump-off was Ireland's Denis Lynch on Ho Go van de Padenborre (Darco x Chin Chin) while third place was taken care of by Swiss rider Jane Richard Philips on Calinesse de Guldenboom (Contact van de Heffinck x Orlando). 

Text © World of Showjumping // Picture © Tiffany Van Halle for World of Showjumping