Julien Anquetin won the CSI 5* Grand Prix of Saut Hermès on Sunday in Paris. It was the biggest victory of his career, riding Blood Diamond du Pont (Diamant De Semilly). "I am very happy for my horse and myself, as well as for the people around me."
The tension in the jump-off was undoubtedly there. Julien Anquetin won with 28 hundredths of a second ahead of namesake and compatriot Julien Epaillard. "In the jump-off, the strategy was, of course, to be as fast as possible. I think my short turn to the yellow vertical made the difference. I had strong competition from Julien Epaillard and Henrik von Eckermann, who always go for it. There is always a certain pride in being the fastest, so it was a matter of keeping a cool head", said Anquetin.
He owes a part of his victory to Blood Diamond du Pond, a gelding from Diamant de Semilly. "He is a very brave horse with a lot of respect and will always give everything. For me, those are very important qualities in a horse competing in five-star events."
The rider has a big season ahead. "I am currently preparing for Mexico and Shanghai, the next two shows of the Global Champions Tour."
Source: Grand Prix