With the only clear round, crowd-favourite Steve Guerdat (SUI) and the 11-year-old stallion Easy Star de Talma (Quick Star x Opium de Talma) won last Saturday’s CSIO5* 1.50m Derby de La Baule – Demeures de Campagne at Jumping International de La Baule 2025. It was the first victory for Guerdat in this historical class, which dates back to 1963, and a step up from last year when he and his lovely stallion finished second.
The derby course counted 21 fences that included several natural elements and jumps such as the lake, the derby banks, the double of banks, the open water, and a selection of other unusual fences, gates and fillers. It also had a new title sponsor, thanks to Demeures de Campagne.
Fifteen horse-and-rider combinations had lined up for the derby, and twelve of them completed the course. Here we look back at some of the action in this traditional class.
All photos © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping. No screenshots or reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.
McLain Ward cracking a joke during the course walk.
Must have been a funny one...
The course for the derby is opened for the spectators, a popular gesture.
Erika Lickhammer Van Helmond was first to go with Vivi's Diamond VHL, who left a lovely impression in his derby debut with his positive attitude.
It was going well for McLain Ward until this point, the bank at no. 13...
...where High Star Hero lost a shoe, forcing Ward to retire.
Richard Vogel displayed great horsemanship, offering a lot of confidence and security to his horse Erevan de Flusel during the course.
The two placed 5th after recording four faults.
Rene Lopez Lizarazo won the La Baule Derby in 2018 riding Destiny’s Child, and came close to the opportunity to make it a double with Driss de Kerglenn – only to see the front pole on the penultimate oxer fall to the ground. They two finished 6th.
Olivier Robert and Eyria Ste Hermelle only had a rail on 3a down, finishing 4th.
Jessica Mendoza had borrowed Disa DM 42 for the occasion, from her student Philippa Amman. The two did a great job together, and only had a plank on no. 19 down towards the very end of the course.
Nicolas Layec and Georgio Louvo Z only had a foot in the open water, and held the lead with the fastest four-fault round when Steve Guerdat entered the ring as last to go.
A big smile from Nicolas Layec.
“Obviously I knew what I had to do because I was last to go and there was no clear,” Guerdat said. “Easy Star can be fast in a jump-off, but is not the fastest over a long course – that’s why I normally prefer a derby with a jump-off. But the time was beatable today so I thought that I had to be quite fast to the double of verticals; I thought that was basically the last that I [potentially] could have down – unless I had some bad luck. So, after the double of verticals, I took a little bit more time going home.”
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“I was just trying to keep it a bit cool,” Guerdat said to World of Showjumping about his performance. “I did not feel like it was my best ride in that derby, but finally it was enough for the win. Some of the other years I would have deserved the win more than this year, but anyhow the horse deserved it! It’s really enjoyable to ride these classes when the horse enjoys it like him; it’s just a pure pleasure.”
Vogel congratulates Guerdat.
Steve Guerdat thanks Easy Star de Talma.
The podium: Steve Guerdat, Nicolas Layec and Jessica Mendoza.
“Easy Star has such a great character,” Guerdat said. “He’s always trying and he is very competitive – when we bring him to the show he normally always comes home with a good result for us. He is also so versatile, you can have him in a big class, a speed class, a derby – it’s a pleasure to share sport with horses like him.”
Thanks to Demeures de Campagne, the traditional La Baule Derby had a new title sponsor this year.
The happy winner.
Congratulations Team Guerdat!
Then