Chirping crickets, a sweet scent of summer, a castle backdrop, and a 1.50m course featuring 13 obstacles—this was the setting for this afternoon's main event at the Jumping International de Mâcon Chaintré. Fifty-six horse-and-rider combinations lined up for the feature class on day two, running under the colors of the Mâconnaise des Eaux by Véolia. Following a dramatic "six-nation" jump-off, Brazil's Marlon Modolo Zanotelli claimed victory, once again proving that the Mâcon arena is his playground.
Fifteen pairs jumped clear in the initial round to punch their tickets to the jump-off in this Longines Ranking class, which also serves as a qualifier for Sunday's Grand Prix. Switzerland’s Alexandra Amar and France’s Jeanne Sadran were frustratingly denied a spot in the jump-off after picking up just two time penalties despite flawless jumping rounds. The Czech Republic's Anna Kellnerová also missed out due to a single time fault.
Zanotelli Outpaces the Star-Studded Field
The jump-off line-up was packed with equestrian stars representing six different nations. First to go, Frenchman Marc Dilasser aboard Giulio du Ter picked up four faults, a fate shared by Ireland's Mark McAuley, who faulted at the Joone vertical at fence number five. The first double clear came courtesy of McAuley's compatriot, Denis Lynch, stopping the clock at 42.85 seconds with Chicago.
However, French rider Cédric Angot—making his debut appearance at Mâcon Chaintré—quickly took the lead with a lightning-fast clear in 40.66 seconds. Following him, Great Britain's Joe Whitaker suffered a heartbreak at the inlet of the combination.
The turning point came when Brazil’s Marlon Modolo Zanotelli, who finished third yesterday with Fusario d'Boissailles (Ogrion des champs x Calido i), laid down a blistering track to cross the timers in a seemingly unbeatable 37.49 seconds. Nobody could dethrone him. Switzerland’s Niklaus Rutschi produced a solid clear with Amar des Brimbelles Z (Amadeus z x Russel) but stopped the clock at 38.88 seconds. Even British legend John Whitaker couldn't catch the leader, finishing in a brilliant 38.85 seconds with his faithful Equine America Unick du Francport (Zandor z x Helios de la cour ii) to secure a well-deserved second place.
The result delivered a truly international podium, with Cédric Angot securing the top French performance to the delight of the Mâcon crowd, who were thrilled to see him competing at the highest level.
"I had a great feeling with Fussario today, and he felt in top shape, so I decided to enter him in this class after his strong third-place finish yesterday. I watched a few competitors before me in the jump-off, which allowed me to calculate the strides in the lines. I know my horse is very careful, so I knew I could turn very tight on the rollback to the vertical over the liverpool. I think that's where I gained precious seconds, as well as in the big gallops across the arena." reacts Marlon Zanotelli after his win.
"It was a fast jump-off! I thought I had gone quick enough to win, but it wasn’t quite enough today. Never mind! I’m absolutely delighted with my horse, who jumped incredibly well throughout the class. I finished second, so I can't complain! On Sunday, we will take on the Grand Prix together." added John Whitaker!
