Romain Duguet could not have dreamed of a better start to the Cabourg Classic CSI 4*, organized by the GRANDPRIX Events teams. This Thursday, the Swiss rider brilliantly won the highlight class of the opening day—the 1.50m Prix des Haras, a qualifier for Sunday's Grand Prix and a counting class for the Longines World Ranking—denying Guy Williams a victory aboard BH Gringos Legacy.

Yet, it was Belgium's Constant van Paesschen who took an early lead. Setting off in tenth position among the seventy-five competitors on the Tribunes arena, the rider of Diaz du Thot completed his round in 68.72 seconds, overtaking Yun-Chi Lin. Representing Chinese Taipei, Lin had previously delivered the afternoon's first clear round with the Selle Français mare Driss de Kerglenn, a daughter of Mylord Carthago.

Sitting at the top of the provisional standings for nearly a third of the class, the rider from Halle, in Flemish Brabant, ultimately saw Guy Williams snatch the lead. Starting in the twenty-eighth spot, the Briton lowered the time to 67.33 seconds. However, moments later, Romain Duguet stepped up the pace even further to take the win by thirty-two hundredths of a second.

Mission Accomplished for Grégory Bodo

The Cabourg Classic CSI 4* offers Grégory Bodo his first opportunity of the year to design at a show organized by GRANDPRIX Events. As is often the case, the co-course designer for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games perfectly fulfilled his mission. While twenty riders earned their ticket for the CWD Grand Prix de la Ville de Cabourg, nineteen competitors left all the rails in the cups in this Prix des Haras. Cédric Angot, who produced the fastest four-fault round with Gandor du Fief, also secured his qualification for the weekend's flagship class.

"I didn't think the heights in this class were exceptionally big, which makes sense given that it's only Thursday. Initially, I thought there would be more clear rounds, but today once again, we could appreciate Grégory Bodo's talent. There were faults all over the course. The class was very well designed. You had to try to go fast without overcooking it, because the track remained delicate. In any case, we know well that when Grégory Bodo is the course designer, the fences don't need to be high for the rails to fall," the winner explained.

"It's always great to qualify on the very first day of competition. I know Bel Canto is a fast horse. I've been riding him for eight years now and he is very consistent; the partnership secured its sixteenth international victory today. He is incredibly willing, and the team around us is wonderful. His owners trust me completely, and in an environment like that, you can only work well. Today, my goal was to win. Bel Canto is fifteen now, and I'm aware we won't be competing for another ten years... Finally, as with all events organized by GRANDPRIX Events, the organization is flawless. Everything is highly professional, with a warm touch that makes our weekends particularly enjoyable," Romain Duguet concluded.