The world's top riders gathered this Friday afternoon for the Prix Normandie Drainage at the CSI5* Printemps des Sports Équestres. Held at a height of 1.55m, this class was a key qualifying stage for Sunday's 1.60m Grand Prix GL events. With 63 riders from 19 nations at the start, all eyes were on the Terrain d’Honneur.
For this strategic milestone, course designer Grégory Bodo and his team designed a demanding track featuring obstacles that left a lasting impression during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It was a powerful nod to the Games, but also a true technical test for the riders and their horses.
Among the day's challenges, the fragile wall of planks in Toubin & Clément colors at number 3, the vertical over a water tray titled "Around the World in 80 Days," and the narrow wall in the colors of Longines Equita Lyon all took their toll on the field.
Starting third in the order, Julien Épaillard long believed victory was his after delivering a clear round in a blistering time of 70.70 seconds aboard Le Coultre de Muze (Presley Boy). One by one, the world’s best riders took to the arena without managing to beat the Frenchman's time. Suspense built, and it wasn't until the very end of the class that the leaderboard was overturned.
Out of the 21 clear rounds, only one rider managed to go faster than the Frenchman: Max Kühner, starting in 59th position. Exceptionally quick across the ground and sharp in his lines, the Austrian chipped away at the clock throughout his round to overtake Épaillard. He ultimately claimed victory in 69.12 seconds with his bay, Elektric Blue P (Eldorado vd Zeshoek). French rider Alexa Ferrer also confirmed her excellent form, taking third place with Vitalhorse Fleur d’Oz (71.41 seconds).
Max Kühner, winner of the Prix Normandie Drainage with Elektric Blue P:
"I am happy with this result. Elektric is a long-time partner who is coming back from a long break. It’s never easy to know if it’s the right time to resume and get back to business. There is the physical aspect, but also the mental one. Today, he seemed very comfortable on this ground, so I just focused on supporting him. We are finding our rhythm together again and it’s a very good sign, even if I’m not yet sure if he is fully ready for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Tomorrow, in any case, he will rest and we will see from there."
Kühner Strikes Again in 1.50m Prix Cheval TV
Max Kühner remained unbeatable in the 1.50m CSI5 Prix Cheval TV*. Riding the Zangersheide gelding Kurt D Z (Kentucky van 't Ruytershof), bred by Dietrich Denker, the Austrian jumped to his second victory of the day.
Petronella Andersson followed in second place with Odina van Klapscheut (Kiliana van Klapscheut), while Ireland's Tom Wachman completed the top three in the saddle of Obora's Laura (Luidam).
