This afternoon, the Ligérien rider narrowly missed out on victory at the Grand Prix World Cup in Rabat, finishing just 82 hundredths of a second behind the winner. The star of the event was undoubtedly Himalaya du Temple, who delivered a stunning display of strength and speed, validating the high expectations placed upon her by her owners, Claude and Judith Astier. Antoine Ermann, another French competitor, qualified for the second round but ultimately finished in seventh place aboard Foxpit Grimm. The event was claimed by Abdullah Alsharbatly riding Dubai du Cèdre.
The audience eagerly awaited the first clear round for several minutes. The course designed by Santiago Varela was neither overly large nor insurmountable; however, challenges began at the wall and intensified with a significant gallop towards the exit, leading to a wide oxer followed by a tight left turn and a vertical that approached rapidly, making the final line particularly tricky and taxing. Many riders saw their hopes of advancing to the second round dashed at this point. When Harm Lahde cleared the final vertical, the German rider let his joy erupt. Thirteen others followed suit, although four of them exceeded the time limit. Antoine Ermann and his mount Foxpit Grimm, the son of Vigo d’Arsouilles, were among those who opted for a safer strategy in both rounds. Their smooth performance was a pleasure to observe and bodes well for future competitions.
Out of the nine pairs who achieved a faultless first round, five were able to replicate this performance. The first to truly make a push for victory, and certainly had the credentials to do so, was Edouard Schmitz. Now coached by Patrice Delaveau, the Swiss rider had an invaluable asset in Gamin van’t Naastveldhof (_Chacco Chacco_), boasting a giant stride. He stopped the clock at an impressive 52.01 seconds, taking the provisional lead and igniting the chase for victory. Following suit, Saudi rider Abdullah Alsharbatly launched Diriyah (formerly known as Dubai du Cèdre) in pursuit of the Swiss competitor. Maintaining a very high tempo, the bay horse gave its all, stretching its body to cross the finish line with over a second to spare. The French contingent was also counting on another partnership, Olivier Perreau and Himalaya du Temple. This mare, bred by Guy Martin and owned by Claude and Judith Astier, demonstrated that she has indeed reached a new level this season. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to secure first place, leaving the duo in second, marking the best performance for the daughter of Toulon at this level.
Olivier Guillon, the team leader for the French squad during the Morocco Royal Tour, provided a positive assessment of the Grand Prix. "We had two horses in the second round, with Olivier's mare, a 9-year-old on the rise. I have a lot of affection for this mare. Olivier has experience, and they are a duo with a bright future. Then there’s Antoine Ermann, who also executed two beautiful rounds, albeit with a bit of time exceeded. The time was a bit tight, and there were a turn or two where he could have saved some time early in the course. The horse (Foxpit Grimm, editor's note) had been off for a month and a half, and he’s returning to this level. That’s extremely positive. We hope to perform well in the Nations Cup the day after tomorrow with other horses."
As reported by leperon.fr.
