At Equita Lyon, the stands were well filled this afternoon for the highlight of the weekend: another round of the World Cup. 40 combinations entered the spirited course built to 1m60 high. Frenchman Gregory Bodo's course produced faults at several obstacles but, in the end, 14 combinations managed to record a clear basic round behind their names. Hopes of a French victory were high among the French home crowd: of the 14 jump-off candidates, no fewer than six were French nationals. Julien Epaillard, number two in the world and winner of the Longines Grand Prix on Friday, was one of them so the other combinations already knew what to do; record a fast, clear round behind their name.
Quick results
1. Gregory Wathelet - Bon Jamesbond de Hay
2. Julien Epaillard - Dubai du Cedre
3. Ben Maher - Dallas Vegas Batilly
Emanuele Gaudiano was first to take his chances with Crack Balou (by Balou du Reventon). He immediately took all the risks but unfortunately that also resulted in a jumping fault. They eventually finished in 37.61 seconds, making the target time for the other combinations immediately clear. Harry Charles was next and with Romeo 88 (by Contact vd Heffinck) he managed to jump a clear round. The world's number one in the U25 riders finished in 35.34 seconds which would earn him fourth place. However, Charles' time did not last long: his compatriot Ben Maher, in the saddle of the only 10-year-old Dallas Vegas Batilly (by L'Arc de Triomphe), managed to push the time just a little bit closer. The duo recorded a clear round behind their name in 34.59 seconds.
Maher's time held for a long time but.... Julien Epaillard, the winner of the 2022 Lyon World Cup, was not going to be able to Maher's victory. Saddled with Dubai du Cedre (by Baloubet du Rouet), he proved once again why he is the world number two: he made firewood of Maher's time and finished in 33.10 seconds, enough to take over the lead at that point. For a while, it seemed that no one would be able to top Epaillard's time but that was beyond Gregroy Wathelet. He relied on the wide canter of 12-year-old Bond Jamesbond de Hay (by Diamant de Semilly), kept all the bars in the scoops and finished in 32.93 seconds, taking over the lead from Epaillard.
At that point there were only two combinations left to live up to a French victory: Francois Xavier Boudant (Brazyl du Mezel) and Roger Yves Bost (Delp de Denant HDC). Boudant pulled out all the stops but unfortunately his 12-year-old Haloubet de Gorze son tapped the penultimate hurdle out of the scoops; So the hopes of the French public came entirely on the shoulders of Roger Yves Bost. Unfortunately, he also failed to keep the clear. Victory thus fell to Gregory Wathelet, who also became the first Belgian winner of the Lyon World Cup.
Fifth place also came into Belgian hands: Pieter Devos was able to record a clear round earlier in the jump-off with Jarina J (by Cicero Z van Paemel). Their time of 35.76 seconds earned them the fifth place.