CSI-W Lyon: Julien Epaillard signs his 67th international victory in the Equita Masters!
In Lyon, nothing can stop the Frenchman Julien Epaillard who, by reporting this Saturday evening the Equita Masters presented by Hermès Sellier, signed his third victory in two days as well as his 67th international win of the season. In the saddle on Donatello d’Auge, the Habs chained one of the only two double clear rounds of the event in 39.69” in the second run, beating the Dutchman Jur Vrieling with Comme-Laude W (41.79 ”) and another tricolor, Pénélope Leprevost with her French Pro Elite 2022 champion, Texas (4pts in 38.53”).
Julien, a 67th international victory, the third here in Lyon in two days, we don’t know what to tell you anymore…
At some point the bars will fall, that’s for sure, but hey, I’ll take advantage of it while waiting! It’s incredible, I can’t believe it myself. I won the last seven big events I rode, two in St Tropez, three in Saint-Lô, two here in Lyon plus a smaller one. Seven affiliation events you have to take advantage of, I don’t know! I have two top horses (Donatello d’Auge and Caracole de la Roque) but you always need a bit of luck. We try to leave as little room as possible to chance, it’s not always easy but we’ll try to take advantage of it.
To go last in the second heat did you get a little warmed up?
Heated not precisely not too much, it especially gave me a lot of information. There was only one double clear which was not allowed fast and when Penelope (Leprevost with Texas) knocked down the last one it helped me a bit actually because she was very fast . I told myself that I was going to do seven strides between 1 and 2 with the action of my horse and despite that he was surprised with a somewhat special jump on 2. Afterwards I wanted to do eight strides to go to twice, Simon (Delestre and Dexter Fontenis Z) in a seven but it was really risky and I told myself that if I managed to do that it was enough to be normally in front of Jur. I didn’t need to turn in front to jump last. I was able to manage my end of the course a little, I took more risks than Jur at the start of the lap because he took eight strides between 1 and 2 and that allowed me to ensure a little more on the last one which led to a lot of mistakes. A vertical alone, along the audience, the horses weren’t really focused on it, he was really at fault, that allowed me to treat him.
Saying you cleared the last hurdle and won with a 3 second lead…
2.9 seconds! (laughs) The horse is fast, I knew naturally that I had gained time at the start of the lap, Jur made a fairly wise jump-off all the same and I had my little reference points in relation to my course. It was the advantage of passing last and that’s why on the first course I tried to push a little bit to make sure I passed at the end of the second run. It’s easier when you have all the information at the end, it avoids taking risks that you don’t need, which was the case today. Everything is going well, it has to continue like this.
How do you stay motivated when you win a little like that?
I still get into my boots (laughs). We must take advantage as long as the wave is there, there are periods during which we only make four points while we do not change anything. Right now it’s happening, I don’t really have the last explanation, you have to take advantage of it. And when it will not pass then we will think!
Full results HERE
Find Julien Epaillard in issue 610 of Cheval magazine, currently on newsstands or available online HERE