Belgium awarded in Madrid thanks to Gilles Thomas
After the CSI 5* Grand Prix of the fourth stage of the Longines Global Champions Tour which was held on Saturday, the Madrid track of the Club del Campo Villa was the scene of the 1.50m jump-off event, the points of which counted for the Longines world ranking of riders. And definitely, young talents were in the spotlight this weekend in the Spanish capital, where the Dutchman Sanne Thijssen triumphed yesterday! Twenty-four-year-old Belgian Gilles Thomas led his Calleryama to victory, ahead of Spaniard Sergio Alvarez Moya, associated with Malibu de Muze. Accompanied by Vestmalle des Cotis, the German Hans-Dieter Dreher climbed on the third step of the podium.
Of the forty-one couples at the start of the event, ten have found the key to the initial course imagined by Santiago Varela, composed of no less than fourteen obstacles for seventeen efforts. From oxers coming out of turns, to double verticals, passing through the many curved lines, these would require great precision on the part of riders wishing to secure a place in the jump-off.
Gilles Thomas dominates the leading trio by a few hundredths
In the saddle on Calleryama (Holst, Casall x Contender), Belgian Gilles Thomas was the fastest of the eight jump-off riders to double clear. In 40”16, he was thirteen hundredths of a second ahead of the Spaniard Sergio Alvarez Moya, author of a course in 40”29 on Malibu de Muz (BWP, Nabab de Reve / Tornedo FCS). The German Hans-Dieter Dreher lacked a few things who, sped up the clock by 40”77, settled for third place. For the occasion, he had sold his thirteen-year-old Selle Français Vestmalle des Cotis (SF, Baloubet du Rouet / Landor S).
Only a hundredth of a second separated the Belgian Pieter Devos, at the foot of the podium with Mom’s Isaura (BWP, Tinka’s Boy x Darco) and Simon Delestre, who left the track in 41”07 with his nine-year-old gelding, Dexter Fontenis Z (Z, Diarado x Voltaire). Fifth, the Habs were closely followed by the Dutchman Harrie Smolders (41”28) and the Swiss Pius Schwizer (44”50), respectively associated with Uricas v/d Kattevennen (Holst, Uriko x San Patrignano Cassini) and the former accomplice of Pénélope Leprevost, Vancouver de Lanlore (SF, Toulon x Le Tot de Semilly). Eighth with SFS Vincomte (AES, Veni Vidi Vici x Magic Darco), the Irishman Anthony Condon signed the last double clear of the event.