The first competition day of the Longines Deauville Classic brought the CSI4* Prix Vilamoura Classic to the spotlight. A 1.50m speed class serving as a Grand Prix qualifier. With the clock as the ultimate judge, the French squad proved nearly untouchable, sweeping the top positions.
It was Kevin Staut who stole the show for the host nation, guiding the nine-year-old Swedish Warmblood Kannonqulan (Kannan) to an immaculate clear in just 62.36 seconds. His performance left spectators no doubt why he is one of France’s most decorated riders.
Luxembourg’s Victor Bettendorf kept the suspense alive until the final strides, pushing Doha de Riverland (Nabab de Rêve) to 63.62 seconds without touching a rail, earning him a well-deserved runner-up spot. France’s grip on the leaderboard tightened further when Marc Dilasser and his 15-year-old Arioto du Gevres (Diamant De Semilly) clocked 63.91 seconds, their seasoned partnership showing in every tight rollback.
Nicolas Sers, piloting Eleven de Riverland (Kannan), maintained the pressure with a 64.27-second round, while Philippe Rozier capped the French dominance in fifth place on the elegant grey mare Dirty Sweet (Cornet Obolensky) in 64.74 seconds.
