In La Coruña, the first 5* class of the Casas Novas - Winter Edition has just reached his end. More than fifty competitors gave their best over a beautifully built 1.45m course, of which Frenchman Grégory Cottard in the saddle of Cocaine du Val (Mylord Carthago) eventually went home with the gold medal.
The Frenchman started twelfth and immediately set an unbeatable time of 60.46 seconds aboard the 10-year-old chestnut mare Cocaine du Val. Ireland's top rider Denis Lynch, who was allowed to venture third after the break to improve on Cottard's result, managed to stop the chrono at 61.41 seconds with the 16-year-old KWPN gelding GC Chopin's Bushi (Contendro II) and thus took the silver. In front of her home crowd, Spanish rider Pilar Lucrecia Cordon shone with bronze on the podium after a strong ride in the saddle of the 9-year-old BWP mare Noblesse du Palis (Baltic VDL) in a time of 62.47 seconds.
The first spot next to the podium also went to Spain, with Diego Ramos Maneiro sending 15-year-old Texas de Trebompe (Gin Tonic Star) over the finish line a good half-second after his compatriot. Germany's Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann concluded the top five along with her 9-year-old Hosteiner gelding Chaka Chaka (Casall).