In Spain, the Madrid Horse Week kicked off this afternoon with the 1.45m high 5* opening class. With star riders from all over the world at the start, any mistake was immediately punished. In the end it was Emanuele Gaudiano who immediately jumped to a fantastic victory with the BWP stallion Nikolaj de Music (Kannan).
The Italian, in the saddle of the Belgian bred Nikolaj de Music, was the only one who managed to stop the chrono clear under 49 seconds, and thus kicks off the 5* competition in Madrid with a magnificent win. Just over half a second after Gaudiano, Julien Epaillard jumped to silver on Donatello d'Auge (Jarnac). Another half a second slower, Robin Muhr and Baccarat Meniljean (Diamant de Semilly) took the bronze.
Steve Guerdat needed just a little longer, aboard the Oldenburger mare Hubba Bubba (Van Helsing) and stopped the clock in fourth place in a clear 52.63 seconds. With loud encouragement from the Spanish home crowd, the fifth place went to Jesus Garmendia Echevarria and the 12-year-old chestnut gelding Valut (Valentino).