The first ‘four-star’ event at Scuderia La Caccia in Bedizzole came to a successful close after a hard-fought and thrilling competition.

Over the three days of the CSI4* – the highlight of the Garda Tour – the pairs from 27 nations provided plenty of thrills, but today’s action in the KEP Italia Grand Prix was even more intense. This final round featured 1.55-metre jumps, and eight of the 50 riders returned to the arena for the jump-off to contest the overall victory.

In a photo finish, Piergiorgio Bucci took victory, clinching the top spot by a razor-thin margin of hundredths of a second. Aboard Pallieter Vd N.Ranch, he displayed impeccable precision and blistering speed, recording an astonishing 39.16 seconds – a time that seemed hard to beat.

The Italian rider and his ten-year-old grey horse were in fact the second pair to tackle the jump-off, and none of the subsequent competitors managed to score a better time.

Only Angelica Augustsson Zanotelli of Sweden on Tipperary broke the 39-second barrier, but her time of 39.46 seconds was not enough to secure first place.

Third place went to the young Belgian Seppe Wouters, who is not yet 18 and the youngest rider in the Grand Prix, riding Quito de Mariposa (0/0; 40.81), whilst Giorgio Sacco on Qionno Van’t Merelsnest and the German rider Maurice Tebbel – who followed in his father’s footsteps – on Crazy EP also completed double clear rounds (0/0; 44.53).

Today’s victory confirms the quality of Pallieter Vd N.Ranch, a horse that Bucci has been riding since last June and with whom he won the Grand Prix at the CSI3* in Valencia, Spain, last month.

The winners of the other major CSI4* categories, valid for the Longines Rankings, were Constant Van Paesschen of Belgium on Diaz du Thot. Van Paesschen triumphed on Saturday in a 150 cm time class to qualify for the Grand Prix. He was first again today (Sunday) in a 145 cm time class. The other winner was Harry Allen of Ireland on Edison de Hus, who took first place on Friday in the two-round 150 cm class.

The Garda Tour continues next weekend with a CSI3*. Next month, there is great excitement for a major international dressage event (9–12 April). The most important event of the season at Scuderia La Caccia is the CSIO3*, the only Italian leg of the Longines EEF Series that will take place from 14–17 May.

 

CLICK HERE for CSI4* results