There’s something about Jumping Verona that always guarantees a thriller, and this was vintage stuff. “I’ve been here a couple of times with my best horses in good shape, and every year we have big sport with close results and a lot of people in a very exciting jump-off. So to be one time the winner here makes me very proud!” Deusser added.
With just three to go it seemed that just couldn’t be bettered, and that the Belgian had it in the bag. Even Deusser doubted he could do it - “but I was last to go, and with the public and the atmosphere like that, I just stopped thinking about it and went in and I really wanted to try!” he said. The roar of the crowd was enough to tell him he had succeeded, by an incredibly narrow margin of just 0.2 seconds. His expression of sheer delight said it all.
He has only been riding the 11-year-old gelding Calisto Blue since July and it hasn’t all been plain sailing. “In the beginning it was very difficult, he’s scopey, very careful and fast but he’s very nervous. Especially with me with my long body, it was difficult to find the co-ordination because he was very sensitive. I’ve had good results in Grand Prix at Berlin and Brussels, but I was always fourth or fifth and he was never really able to win a class for me” explained the tall German. That was until today of course.