From left to right: Kevin Staut, Julien Epaillard, & Lorenzo de Luca. ph: Thomas Reiner Photography.
On day two of CSI5* competition at the Longines Masters of Paris, Julien Epaillard continued the French domination with a leading performance in the Friday, December 1, 2017, Longines Speed Class.
A day after fellow countryman Grégory Cottard topped the leaderboard in the Masters One Asia Horse Week, Epaillard put in a winning performance aboard the 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding Cristallo A LM (Casall x Corofino I) to best a field of 27 combinations in the competition against the clock.
The duo crossed the timers in 60.99s to secure the win and lump sum of €100,000 in prize money on the Louis Konickx (NED) designed course.
France’s Kevin Staut and the 11-year-old SBS mare Ayade de Septon et HDC (Wandor van de Mispelaere x Belle d’Avril du Mazy) narrowly missed out on 1st place honors with a runner up time of 61.65s.
“When you enter this [arena], it is impossible to ignore the energy that the public conveys. We are carried almost in spite of ourselves. I did not intend to go so fast, I did not feel it, but I could not help it,” says Staut.
Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca and the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Limestone Grey closed out the podium placings in 3rd with a time of 63.53s.
“I knew I had no chance to beat him,” joked de Luca on Epaillard. “You have to know how to stay realistic. I went as fast as I could, however, and I’m delighted with this place on the podium. ”
The full results can be viewed here.