International Jumping of Dinard: Saturday is Derby day!

The Laiterie de Montaigu Derby, challenge taken up by a young Belgian rider
For the first time in ten years, the Laiterie de Montaigu, faithful partner of the International Jumping of Dinard, associated its name with the spectacular Derby, one of the highligts of the show held in the Val Porée stadium, which had attracted, as every year, an enthusiastic crowd of connoisseurs.
Thirteen pairs of eight different nationalities, engaged in the CSI3* label, had chosen to take up the biggest challenge of the day. The French course designer Jean François Morand had concocted for them a 1100 meters long course, almost twice as much as a conventional round, enamelled of twenty one 1,45m high fences (24 jumps), both mobile, and likely to be jostled as verticals, oxers and triple bars, but also natural, and therefore fixed, like hillocks, sills, hedges, river and Breton slopes, the whole round to be completed in a sustained rhythm of 176 seconds.
After signing the only clear round of the class, in time of 171’’31, the Belgian rider, 24 of age, Andres Vereecke, clinches victory associated to his 10 years old mare Di Gute Folia. Delighted with his first participation in the Jumping of Dinard, the rider, based near Gand with about twenty horses, was riding the first Derby of his career and promised to be back next year.
Placed second, the Irish rider Dermott Lennon, riding Gelvins Touch, with a score of 4 faults in a time of 172’’23.
Best French rider and placed 3rd with Ascot des Ifs, 11 years old, a son of the famous stallion Quick Star, Thomas Rousseau, based in Pont l’Evêque (14) who was taking part for the third time in the Derby of Dinard in twelve years. « You need specific horses for that type of classes, which is not always the case.» As the rider explains, he did not plan a special preparation for this Derby, and chose to trust the natural energy ans good will of his partner, who joined his stables two years ago. « He had a light health problem early in the season, which is why I could not push him too much, and decided to let him take his time between the fences, unless he was showing me he was willing to develop his stride himself. I am delighted with his performance, he is very generous. »
Results : https://results.worldsporttiming.com/event/52/competition/1310/result
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