With two Longines FEI World Cup™ wins already under her belt this season, French rider Penelope Leprevost put herself in the perfect frame of mind ahead of tomorrow’s Italian qualifier when posting a double-victory at Jumping Verona today.
In the 1.45m Equiline Speed she galloped the nine-year-old mare, Sultane des Ibis, home to pin Italy’sLuca de Lorenzo and the eight-year-old Homer de Reve into runner-up spot by a one-second margin. And she then clinched victory over yesterday’s big class winners, America’s Jessica Springsteen and Davendy S, in the Selleria Equipe Small Grand Prix, this time partnering the 11-year-old mare Nice Stephanie.
It will be quite a sensation if Leprevost can win three Longines qualifiers in the space of a few short weeks, but on current form, and already heading the Western European League leaderboard, the 35-year-old Frenchwoman is in the form of her life. “This is a really great time for me, my horses are going really well right now and I hope you will be interviewing me as the winner again tomorrow evening!” she said this evening.
She wasn’t expecting such a great performance from Sultane des Ibis. “Usually she gets strong and fights a bit, but today I had a really nice feeling, she was very relaxed so I could ride smoothly all the way”, Leprevost explained.
And she was even less sure about Nice Stephanie who didn’t seem to be feeling quite herself yesterday. But after some nice work on the flat this morning, and a great clear in the first round of the competition Leprevost decided to “give it a go” against the clock and was already galloping as she entered the arena - “I wanted to go for it and I also knew that Jessica (Springsteen) is very fast with Davendy so I had to give it everything!” Leprevost said, after pinning Springsteen into second place.
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