Global Champions Tour: Ballistic Bosty Does It Again!

Source: News Release

Ballistic Bosty does it again!

Photo credit: Stefan Grasso/ Longines Global Champions Tour

Roger-Yves Bost was once again unbeatable in a jump off as he shave over a second off the time to beat in tonight’s floodlit 1.50m 5* in Cannes.

The exciting atmosphere in the colourfully illuminated arena by the port intensified as the popular French rider Bost sped to victory on his bay mare Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois. Bost finished in 35.63 with an electrifying dash to the finish to huge cheers from the home crowd on the Riviera. He said: “My mare is so fast. I did not go too crazy in the line. I like the show because I won here in ’83. The course was nice and the jump off was good for me.”

Dutch rider Maikel van der Vleuten had held the lead with a fast spring to the last fence finishing in 36.86 on VDL Groep Eureka but could not hold off the Bosty challenge.

Ranking leader Luciana Diniz was last to go on Lady Lindenhof but ended in 3rd place on 37.45. Edwina Tops-Alexander was fourth on 37.72 with Guccio looking in excellent form.

Fifteen top class combinations had gone through to the jump off, but Ben Maher and Kevin Staut were among those finishing with faults.

It was a thrilling curtain raiser ahead of the Grand Prix with packed VIP stands along three sides of the arena and passionate show jumping fans filling the seats in the grandstand - and all only a few hundred yards from the world famous Croisette.

The first round saw plenty of top combinations compete for a chance to battle it out in the jump off. Uliano Vezzani’s course caught out a string of the best riders at fence number 6 with a number of horses drifting on the line from 6 to the double combination. Jessica Springsteen and her newly acquired Zero produced a strong performance. The nine year old gelding was found by her trainer and mentor Laura Kraut unexpectedly and is a key feature in Jessica’s international string. The young rider was watched by her dad, Bruce who was seen chatting with French actor Guillaume Canet surrounded by fans.

Germany’s legendary Ludger Beerbaum rode the youngest horse of the class. A seven year-old by the name of Crespo PKZ was the youngest horse to compete in the CSI5* internationally-ranked class.

50 riders ready for action in glamorous Cannes

Under the floodlights tonight’s 5* 1.50m will include most of the world’s top 30 riders in the big curtain raiser in Cannes.

Ludger Beerbaum on Crespo, Ben Maher on Aristo Z, Rodrigo Pessoa on Let’s Fly, Richard Spooner on Cristallo, Kamal Bahamdan on Cezanne and Edwina Tops-Alexander on Guccio are just some of the big names competing.

With packed VIP stands along three sides of the arena and passionate show jumping fans filling the seats in the grandstand, the stage is set for a night of high calibre sport only a few hundred yards from the world famous Croisette. The competition sponsored by E. Leclerc will set the scene for tomorrow night’s 5th Grand Prix of the season.