Piergiorgio Bucci: “Hantano deserved a victory like this.”

Reactions from the protagonists after the Rolex Grand Prix of La Baule

Just two weeks after his triumph in the Rolex Grand Prix of Rome at Piazza di Siena, Piergiorgio Bucci continues to enjoy one of the most successful periods of his career. The Italian rider added another prestigious title to his résumé on Sunday by claiming victory in the Rolex Grand Prix of the City of La Baule, one of the seven events that make up the Rolex Series.

While the sporting achievement itself has already attracted widespread attention, the post-competition reactions offered further insight into the significance of the result for the riders involved.

Bucci, currently ranked world No. 22, reflected on the decisive jump-off, in which he was the last of seven combinations to return to the arena.

Before him, only Martin Fuchs and Conner Jei had managed a faultless second round, setting a benchmark that appeared difficult to surpass.

“Watching Martin’s round on the giant screen, I thought he had set a time that would be very difficult to beat,” Bucci admitted. “But I never enter a jump-off expecting to lose. I wanted to win, and I believed I could do it, especially because the course suited me quite well, with two very tight left-hand turns.”

The victory held particular meaning for the Italian rider because of the horse with whom he achieved it: Hantano, the 14-year-old KWPN gelding who is expected to be one of Italy’s key contenders at the FEI World Championships in Aachen later this summer.

“I’m extremely happy for my horse. He gives me so much, and he deserved a victory at an event of this magnitude, one of the greatest competitions in the world,” said Bucci.

He also reserved special praise for the knowledgeable French crowd that filled the stands of the Stade François André throughout the week.

“The atmosphere here is truly exceptional. The spectators understand our sport and support every rider, including the foreign ones. It’s something magical and it always gives us extra motivation.”

The victory places Bucci among a select group of Italian riders in La Baule history. Following Giorgio Nuti, who won the Grand Prix in 1985 aboard Impedoumi, Bucci becomes only the second Italian rider ever to have his name engraved on the event’s prestigious honours list.

Martin Fuchs: “For ten minutes I was frustrated”

Swiss star Martin Fuchs once again found himself agonisingly close to victory in La Baule.

After finishing runner-up in Saturday’s Derby, the former world No. 1 delivered another outstanding performance in the Rolex Grand Prix, only to be denied by the final rider to enter the arena.

“For about ten minutes I was very frustrated,” Fuchs admitted with a smile. “But then I quickly became satisfied with second place at one of my favourite shows of the year.”

The Swiss rider was also quick to acknowledge the quality of Bucci’s performance.

“Of course, I would have loved to win, but Piergiorgio rode brilliantly and produced an exceptional jump-off round.”

Épaillard encouraged by his horse’s form

French rider Julien Épaillard also left La Baule with plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

Fresh from helping France secure victory in Friday’s Barrière Nations Cup, Épaillard finished third in Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix after recording the fastest jump-off time but incurring a single rail.

Despite missing out on the win, the reigning French Champion and 2025 FEI World Cup Final winner expressed great satisfaction with the week as a whole.

“First of all, I would like to thank the entire organisation,” he said. “We had a fantastic week, both because of the people involved and because of the way the horses were looked after. Everything was perfect.”

For Épaillard, La Baule represented an important opportunity to evaluate both himself and his horse ahead of the major championships still to come this season.

“I came here to assess where my horse and I stood, and the outcome is obviously very positive. He performed consistently throughout the week and the only fault in today’s jump-off was my mistake because I should have added a stride. I learned a great deal this week, and I hope it bodes well for what lies ahead.”

Bucci’s victory brought the curtain down on the 65th edition of the Jumping International de La Baule, one of the most iconic events on the international calendar, once again delivering world-class sport and a thrilling finale that kept spectators engaged until the very last rider entered the arena.

Source: Jumping International de La Baule press release
Photo credit: PSV

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