This afternoon, the CSIO5* Rolex Grand Prix of Rome at 1.60m attracted a large crowd to the iconic Piazza di Siena. Set in the gardens of Villa Borghese, the second round of this prestigious Grand Prix featured the best 12 combinations from the opening round. In the end, Piergiorgio Bucci secured a home victory for Italy in the 100th edition of this renowned event. Bucci relied on the Belgian grey stallion Pallieter vd N. Ranch to claim the prestigious win.
Victory belonged to Piergiorgio Bucci and the Belgian Warmblood stallion Pallieter vd N. Ranch (Cornet Obolensky). As the only combination to complete the decisive second round without penalties, the Italian rider stopped the clock in 42.01 seconds to secure the €125,000 top prize and a memorable home victory in the Italian capital.
Bucci spoke emotionally about his victory: “I am incredibly proud of this horse, of my team, and of all the work that went into this victory. This is absolutely not just my win. My family, the owner, my riders, my groom, and everyone who supports me and my horses every day are part of this success. It is a true team effort, and I want to thank everyone involved.”
“This was not a Grand Prix decided purely by speed. In the end, it all came down to jumping clear. Even with some adjustments to the course to encourage a faster pace, it remained technically very demanding. But Pallieter handled it perfectly! Without a doubt, this is the greatest moment of my career. Winning my first Rolex Grand Prix means so much to me. Just before coming to Rome, I said how much I wanted to win a Rolex Grand Prix one day. Apparently, today was the right day. Moreover, Lorenzo De Luca, a good friend of mine, was the last Italian rider to win this Grand Prix. Following in his footsteps makes this victory even more special.”
As the only combination to finish double clear, Bucci and Pallieter vd N. Ranch claimed the prestigious Grand Prix victory. The fastest time of the day belonged to Germany’s Jörne Sprehe aboard Toys (Toulon). Sprehe stopped the clock more than three seconds quicker than the winner but incurred a single rail, ultimately settling for second place. He finished ahead of fellow German Richard Vogel and Cloudio (Casall). The recent Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen winner also recorded one jumping fault and completed the podium in third with a total of 41.67 seconds.
The top five was completed by Marilyn Little and La Contessa, fourth on four penalties in 43.18 seconds, and Sweden's Wilma McMahon with Cicci BJN, fifth on four penalties in 44.32 seconds.
