Csio3*: and the GP winner is… Paris Sellon
US flag shines in the Csio3* Longines EEF Series presented by Scuderia la Caccia Grand Prix thanks to Paris Sellon. After celebrating her birthday in Bedizzole – she was born on May the 12th – Us rider added a new occasion for a toast scoring victory aboard Chad Blue PS in the bigger class of the Csio3*.
“It was a great class,” commented the winner, Us Paris Sellon, immediately after securing victory in a jump-off decided by hundredths of a second. “When I walked the course, I realised it suited us, so I simply stuck to the plan. It was a really good competition. I’ve only been riding Chad Blue since December, and this is our first victory in a three stars Grand Prix. I bought him from Alexa Stais, and he was previously ridden by German Patrick Stühlmeyer. Honestly, I have to admit that I’m enjoying their work to some extent, even though I had an instant connection with Chad Blue. He’s such a superstar.”
Training the American rider at Scuderia La Caccia was Jessica Kurten, who remained in the Kiss & Cry area, watching Sellon’s performance as if she were in the saddle herself.
“Paris and Chad Blue are an extraordinary pair,” said Kurten. ‘They’ve only been a team for a short time. They’ve only competed together at Wellington, and this is their first victory in a 3* Grand Prix. A great start, I’d say. It was thrilling. This pair has done a fantastic job, and the quality of their relationship speaks for itself.”
The closing event of the CSIO3* Longines EEF Series at Scuderia La Caccia on Sunday presented the sixty competing horse and riders pairs with a highly challenging Grand Prix task designed by Paolo Rossato. Only five riders completed the first course with no mistakes on the jumps to qualify for the jump-off, which featured 1.55-metre fences for a prize fund of €60,000.
Just eight hundredths of a second behind, Swiss rider Bryan Balsiger on C-Mistral (0/0; 49.44) finished after Paris Sellon and Chad Blue PD (0/0; 49.36), whilst Belgian Thomas de Wit on Tools DW Z (0/4; 48.75) was third with one fault.
Ukrainian outsider Oleksandr Prodan was fourth on Moneymaker Van’t Meulenhof (0/11; 59.65) and another Swiss rider, Gaetan Joliat, on Scarlina de Tiji Z (0/21; 69.02) also took part in the jump-off and finished fifth.
Sixth place went to the best Italian riders in the competition, Francesca Ciriesi on Cash Royal 4 (2 time faults).
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