Just days after their Friday victory in the 1.50m class, Julien Epaillard and Donatello d'Auge were back on top in Canteleu, France, claiming another win in Sunday’s CSI4* 1.55m Grand Prix Région Normandie. The French duo delivered a masterclass on home soil, continuing the form that saw them crowned champions at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final just six weeks ago.
In a Grand Prix that featured 50 horse-and-rider combinations, 13 qualified for the second round. But once again, Epaillard and his lightning-fast 12-year-old gelding, bred at home by the rider himself, proved untouchable. They blazed through the jump-off in 43.91 seconds, securing victory by nearly two seconds.
Fellow French rider Juliette Faligot, who won Thursday’s 1.45m class, took second place aboard Arqana de Riverland with a time of 45.69 seconds. Completing an all-French podium, Roger Yves Bost placed third on Prins van’t Eigenlo, clocking 46.52 seconds.
Great Britain’s Matthew Sampson and Un Secreto Z finished fourth, with Belgium’s Jeroen Appelen and King CJS taking fifth.
With back-to-back wins and a commanding presence in the arena, Epaillard and Donatello d’Auge are clearly setting the pace this season — and showing no signs of slowing down.
