Belgium’s very own Jerome Guery and Papillon Z took home the 2015 Longines Grand Prix in Lummen today. Ten riders made it into the jump off today but only three managed to jump a clear round in the jump off. Of those three, it was Guery who came out on top, much to the pleasure of a passionate Belgian crowd.
Today’s course proved challenging, with weather adding to the difficult factors that all riders had to manage today. Belgium’s Gudrun Patteet was the first to jump clear aboard Sea Coast Pebles Z. Patteet entered the ring as the first rider in the jump off but failed to deliver a clear round with 8 faults in total. Jerome Guery followed with his new ride Papillon Z despite difficulties entering and remaining in the ring. When the pair were finally able to get undrway, they cleared the track in a time of 43.27 seconds.
Wouter Devos and Karel Cox, like Patteet, were unable to deliver the second clear of the day. Belgium’s Niels Bruynseels and Pommeau du Heup, a combination that was part of the winning Belgian Nations Cup Team last year in Rome, jumped an impressive clear round in the first round as well as the jump off. This promising pair delivered a powerful double clear round in Friday’s Furusiyya Nations Cup. Bruysneels’ clear jump off round with a time of 45.06 seconds secured third place in the end, ensuring not one but two Belgian riders on the podium.
Unfortunately Nicolas Delmotte ended the course with four faults riding Number One d’Iso Un Prince while Simon Delestre and Qlassic Bois Margot suffered a similar fate. New H&M rider while Nicola Philippaerts riding Bisquet Balou C and Brazilian-born rider Cassio Rivetti with Vivant both delivered an 8 fault round. A large presence of Belgian riders in today’s Grand Prix of Lummen ensured two riders in the Top 3, offering the passionate and knowledgeable crowd of Lummen some exciting sport.
To conclude a week of top sport in Belgium, the Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders was last to go in today’s Grand Prix jump off. Aboard his stunning chestnut stallion Emerald, Smolders earned second place after crossing the finish line in a time of 43.38 seconds; only slightly slower than Guery. Harrie Smolders also was awarded the Leading Rider of Lummen award following the conclusion of the 2015 edition of CSIO5* Lummen, thanks to his consistent results through out the week.