he second day of the Emirates Jumping Cup reached its peak with the highly anticipated CSIO5* Emirates Jumping Cup presented by Longines. A star-studded lineup of riders tackled the demanding course, with only nine of the 45 starters jumping clear. Eleven riders progressed to the jump-off, but it was Sweden’s Rolf-Göran Bengtsson who delivered a flawless double clear aboard Zuccero HV to take the title.
“He’s a really fantastic horse that’s reached the top, but unfortunately the horse is going to be coming up for sale and that’s a real shame for me,” commented Rolf-Göran Bengtsson after the class.
“This makes the win even more special, as this could be the last show. I don’t have a back-up horse at the moment, and it takes time to make a new horse again,” he added.
Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and the stallion Zuccero HV (VDL Zirocco Blue x Caretino, breeder:Hanno Koehncke) were narrowly faster than Tim Gredley with the 12-year-old KWPN gelding, Imperial HBF (Glasgow-W Merelsnest x Original VDL). Gredley and the gelding, from the breeding of L.J.Tinto, were more than six seconds ahead of Katrin Eckermann and Iron Dames Dialou Blue PS (Diarado's Boy x Chacco-Blue, breeder: Gestüt Lewitz).
Just outside the top three followed Lucy Davis Kennedy in the saddle of Ben 431 (v: Sylvain). Sophie Hinners completed the top five with the 11-year-old mare, Iron Dames Combella (by: Cornet du Lys).
