The Jumping International de La Baule, the second event of the Rolex Series, concluded with the prestigious Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule, the highlight of this renowned international horse show. At the end of an eleven-man jump-off, American rider Kent Farrington and his mare GREYA delivered the fastest of the four double clear rounds, edging out fellow American Karl Cook on CARACOLE DE LA ROQUE and Belgian Grégory Wathelet on BOND JAMESBOND DE HAY by mere thousandths of a second. The thrilling competition kept the audience on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating who would succeed Karl Cook and add their name to the Rolex Series winners’ list.
Under the blue skies of La Baule, fifty pairs representing fifteen nations began the Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule. Max Kühner, riding ELEKTRIC BLUE P, was the first to navigate the course designed by Grégory Bodo without fault. Ten other riders followed suit, advancing to a spectacular jump-off.
Among the finalists were Karl Cook, winner of the Rolex Grand Prix of Roma, Steve Guerdat, the current European champion, and France’s Kevin Staut. Max Kühner opened the jump-off with ELEKTRIC BLUE P, scoring 8 points. Karl Cook then posted the first double clear in 34.
21 seconds on CARACOLE DE LA ROQUE, a mare previously ridden by Frenchman Julien Epaillard, currently ranked 4th in the world. However, Kent Farrington, riding immediately after Cook, stole the show with a clear round in 34.09 seconds on his 10-yea.
