Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker the current world number seven was betting on his 10-year-old mare Greya to secure the CSIO5* 1.60m Rolex Grand Prix de La Baule Having yet to break her international win maiden Greya was indeed the dark horse in the field gleaming with a generous helping of purple shampoo Over the second round of the Gregory Bodo (FRA) designed course Farrington’s compatriot Karl Cook (USA) put down a blistering time of 34.21 seconds with his superstar 12-year-old mare With a 5* Grand Prix win just two weeks ago in Rome at the Piazza di Siena they entered the ring on a hot streak and countered with experience What Farrington did have was the advantage of riding second and the opportunity to tidy the lines and the strides Cook laid down Farrington already had enough confidence in his own winning strategy “I try to stay focused and not think about what might have happened or what might happen I hadn’t really looked at Karl’s course and this allowed me to follow my plan and secure the victory,” said Farrington The plan included adding more leg than Greya was used to but for Farrington there is no time like the present to test out a new gear Of the other nine combinations to try the shortened track Gregory Wathelet (BEL) came the closest to Farrington and Cook with 37.79 seconds still quite a distance off (3.58 seconds) but enough to secure third “I am still at the stage where I’m thrilled with how my horse is going She is still learning and today was a great step forward in our process I have never asked her to go at that speed before and she answered great,” said Farrington who has had Greya in his stable since she was just five-years-old Perhaps he brought her up slowly, but she’s certainly caught up fast, recording not only her first international win, but first 5* Grand Prix win. Over 17 rounds at the 1.60m height, Greya finishes in the top 10 at a spectacular 71% clip (Jumpr Stats) because horses are animals with their own rhythm and needs That’s what makes our sport so beautiful and that’s the game,” said Farrington A realist with a dreamer’s show record one might wonder if he’s added Greya to his list of potential Paris Olympic partners “I let the horses develop and then see I don’t like to think about that stuff too far away Discover how Paris 2024 became the most media-covered Olympic Games in history See how the Olympic Games’ communications team supported by Wiztrust’s tailored PR platform overcame complex challenges-from synchronizing teams and managing thousands of journalists to ensuring top-level security Learn how innovative digital tools and expert support enabled Paris 2024 to achieve record-breaking visibility and flawless brand protection Download the full Paris 2024 Success Case now and get inspired by the strategies behind this record-breaking achievement For further information and other cases please visit Wiztrust.com protect your company and its directors from disinformation and adopt the “trust mark” of the market leaders plan campaigns targeting your audiences through all channels (e-mail social media) and organise your activities and events improve results by exploiting your data's true depth Discover the best way to manage your PR & Marketing efficiently: Wiztrust is THE integrated communication platform for corporate professionals Prioritise your activities thanks to a clearer view on your assets Manage your communication thanks to a collaborative platform for you and your team Certify your corporate communication thanks to our blockchain-backed technology Save your team and yourself some precious time Learn more about Wiztrust in our case study Team Germany won Friday’s CSIO5* 1.60m Barrière Nations Cup at the 2024-edition of Jumping International de La Baule ahead of the hosts in second and Belgium in third With the François André Stadium filled to the brim with spectators the atmosphere was incredible. “It is not normal how fair the public was and it is not something we should take for granted," Germany's anchor Philipp Weishaupt said afterwards "I went in and I jumped clear and I had the feeling that I got a lot of applause from the public – even though we beat France Thank you for that; it shows we had great sportsmen and women here – and that was a great feeling.”  we take a look back at the action in the Barrière Nations Cup!  All photos © Jenny Abrahamsson/WoSJ.  © 2025 World of Showjumping - All rights reserved Powered by Artionet - Generated with IceCube2.Net Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times There aren’t many places where grand prix horses can take a quick hack on the beach before jumping in a big class but the La Baule CSIO takes place in the picturesque seaside town of La Baule-Escoublac in Brittany sandy beach at La Baule is 12 kilometers long and on early mornings riders can take their horses down to the beach at low tide and romp in the surf Photographer Tiffany Van Halle was up early and on hand to document it for us: Celine M Z stared out over the ocean with Sanne Thijssen of the Netherlands riding Christina Liebherr of Switzerland took a trot down the beach on Queen Du Chateau Christina Liebherr of Switzerland on Queen Du Chateau Romain Duguet of France on Twentytwo Des Biches who in April were second in the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Omaha Pedro Veniss of Brazil aboard Quabri De L’Isle Leopold Van Asten of the Netherlands and Zidane wading in the waves Alexandra Paillot of France on Tonio La Goutelle Steve Guerdat of Switzerland let Bianca stretch her legs in the sand Pedro Veniss of Brazil and Quabri De L’Isle enjoyed the change of scenery Back on the more traditional turf in the afternoon winners of the Longines Grand Prix of La Baule “It is the best day of my life and I am really happy,” said Pedro Muylaert of winning the Longines Grand Prix of La Baule Muylaert won a three-star grand prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.) in February with Prince Royal Z MFS then topped a three-star grand prix in Lummen (Belgium) with Chacote the week before La Baule I train with Rodrigo Pessoa and I will go back to Wellington next winter since there will be a Brazilian team in the Nations Cup The horse comes from Argentina where he was ridden by a rider from Paraguay and with whom he did the Pan American Games The horse was for sale; I have ridden him for three months you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse Copyright © 2025 The Chronicle of the Horse We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative With some of the world’s best horse-and-rider combinations at start last Sunday’s CSIO5* 1.60m €500,000 Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule was always going to be a clash of titans USA's Kent Farrington and Greya took their first international victory together ahead of their compatriots Karl Cook and Caracole de La Roque in second and Belgium's Gregory Wathelet aboard Bond Jamesbond de Hay in third.  we take a look back at the action at the 2024-edition of Jumping International de La Baule.  The Côte d’Amour resort known for its long beach Anglo-Norman villas and palatial hotels is preparing for the invasion of French and foreign holidaymakers that will swell the 16,000 local population almost a hundredfold on France’s Atlantic coast in southern Brittany “At the Palace in La Baule we felt raucous amidst so much chic restraint Children bronzed on the bare blue-white beach while the tide went out so far as to leave them crabs and starfish to dig for in the sands,” he wrote Today the water is still too chilly for most bathers and walkers braving the seafront last week were drenched by spring storms the temperature on the beach has risen beyond boiling Furious local people have accused officials of “privatising” the three-mile stretch of golden sands that the town’s residents boast is the most beautiful in Europe and lament the decision to give a 12-year contract to manage the beach to a multinational water company which they accuse of not maintaining the resort’s reputation The row stems from a bitterly contested 2006 government decree that restricts the activities of private firms on France’s public beaches to 20% of the overall surface the principal target of the decree is the French Riviera which has seen an explosion of expensive restaurants on its miles of beaches Technically there are no private beaches in France where the country’s coastline – land and sea – is protected and overseen by the environment ministry in Paris local councils have been allowed to sell licences to beach restaurants rendering swaths of Côte d’Azur sand out of bounds to ordinary holidaymakers Hotels and restaurants on France’s Mediterranean coast openly advertise “private beaches” where a “front row” sun bed can cost more than €100 (£85) Aerial view over the bay of La Baule Photograph: Andia/UIG via Getty ImagesIn La Baule town hall officials decided the 2006 decree was too controversial and complicated to enforce Unwilling to enter into battles with well-established local businesses many of them run by generations of the same family they decided to pass the buck back to the ministry in Paris In December 2016 the environment ministry sold the right to manage La Baule’s beaches to Veolia local people say Veolia’s plans will mean even more of the beach is swallowed up and there will be a steep rise in the price of their business licences the sort of madness that only happens in France,” Didier Arino director of the tourism consultancy Protourisme It will mean a loss of business and harm the attractiveness of France’s beaches and it will put people out of business at a time when unemployment is already high The question of whether money should be a factor in determining access to a beach was in the headlines when French authorities bowed to a request by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman to close a stretch of coastline below a Riviera holiday home during his visit A petition against the “privatisation” of the beach was signed by more than 100,000 people As the king had a 1,000-strong royal entourage with money to spend in Riviera shops said the term “privatisation” did not apply to the Veolia contract But he admitted to having some sympathy with local concerns “We are also worried because it’s in nobody’s interest to further weaken the economic tissue of the town and therefore that of the beach which is one of the major attractions for which La Baule is famous,” Métaireau told AFP news agency who represents the conservative rightwing Les Républicains party proposed setting up a joint venture company with Veolia but beach business owners are still planning to go ahead with a demonstration next Saturday and at least two lawsuits are pending Veolia has said that it wants to make the beach “safer more modern and more environmentally green” It said it was ready to “enter into discussions” with the relevant state and town hall officials the president of the local business association “The aim of a business like Veolia is to make money It’s not worried about maintaining the kind of family resort spirit we have here,” Durant-Raucher told Le Monde Defending the interests of France’s 1,500 beach businesses – 400 of them on the Mediterranean – Arino said they would be asking Emmanuel Macron’s new environment minister to persuade the government to abandon the 2006 decree “We are very good at making rules in France even if they are difficult to apply and simply absurd,” he said “But we will approach Monsieur Hulot and we will try.” This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media Cho Se-hyuk poses for a picture with the boy's singles trophy at the La Balle Mimosa Loire-Atlantique held in La Baule-Escoublac in France on Monday Veteran international show jumper Beth Underhill is no stranger to success The 59-year-old was first named to the Canadian team in 1990 and has represented Canada in over 30 Nations Cups But her win May 8 at the $527,181 Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule CSIO5* aboard Dieu Merci Van T&L was particularly special has ridden “Dieu,” a 13-year-old Belgian Sport Horse (Toulon—Morana Corrado I) owned by Torrey Pines Stable and the Rein Family LLC She took over the ride this winter from longtime friend and Canadian Olympic gold medalist Eric Lamaze who announced in November 2021 that she was joining his Torrey Pines Stable and would take over his top rides who has been battling brain cancer since 2017 Beth Underhill and Dieu Merci Van T&L captured the Rolex Grand Prix Ville de la Baule on May 8 in La Baule-Escoublac Lamaze won at La Baule multiple times, aboard Hickstead in 2011 and with Powerplay in 2014. Now, he’s serving as the Canadian chef d’equipe Two days before Underhill and Dieu won the Sunday grand prix Their round and Lamaze’s leadership helped the Canadian team which also included Yann Candele on Farezzo We caught up with Underhill to learn more about Dieu and what it’s like to have a longtime friend and legendary rider serving as the team coach Dieu came to Florida quite late in the circuit he was in quarantine for a significant amount of time I started him in two or three 1.40-meter classes And then we did one or two 1.45-meter classes and we ended up doing two four-star classes We’d had just a handful of classes through [the Winter Equestrian Festival] so I didn’t know him well before La Baule He’s a horse who really thrives on a big gallop I’m kind of a naturally forward-riding person I like to carry a big gallop and work out of stride Even though I hadn’t had a lot of time in the ring with him I was feeling as I went along that I was getting to know him and create a partnership He’s quite a character—I have to watch him in the warm-up ring; if you’re trotting beside someone he’ll just turn his head and try to nip the horse beside you in terms of the hierarchy of the other horses in the ring but he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body and I’ve found the ones that I have ridden to be quite difficult lovely character and natural sense of who he is I felt that when he stepped into the ring in La Baule with such an electric crowd; he grew even taller And in a way that made him stronger and just more competitive That can work both ways with horses; they can step into an arena like that and shrink or they can raise their game and be up for the call and I really felt that he was with me throughout the whole week I trusted him; I felt immediately that he was comfortable in that environment Even though I’d never ridden him on the grass before the warm-up class on the initial day And that gave me confidence going directly into the Nations Cup on Friday Do you still have your own program training clients and coaching Eric called me in November and asked me if I’d be interested in working together which of course I jumped at the opportunity But I do have a busy business in King City I had several of my students in Wellington [Florida] with me One of my students came to Belgium to train here as well So I’m just working between keeping both things going at the moment but it’s been the logistics that we’ve had to take care of I have a super team at home; that is how we keep everything up and running but I live a little bit further up in the country So I was able to go home for two weeks and visit I have five rescue pot-bellied pigs and two goats that we raised and bottle-fed as orphans So I have a little bit of a menagerie at home so it was very fun to go home and spend two weeks How did you come to develop your relationship with Eric and Torrey Pines We were literally neighbors in Schomberg [Ontario] I knew Eric when he was 17 years old—I mean when he just started on the scene—and we’ve always been friends and I’ve ridden on the team with him many times over the years I think we’ve always respected each other I would say I was in contact with him more just because and I think he reached out to people that he knew and he trusted So it’s a friendship that was forged long ago but also just as someone that I’ve always respected and appreciated as a friend When he was looking for someone to help with the stable and with riding some of his horses it was a lot to consider because at this stage in my life you don’t have many opportunities come your way like this and the fact that he even thought of me first He believed in me before I actually believed in myself to this level I’ve had some lovely horses and a thriving business over the years but this was a whole different level of commitment and competition “Will you do it?” I literally thought about it for two seconds I knew that it would be a lot of adjustments and changes but the fact that he was prepared to help me and to support me meant the world to me We already had a history of working together on teams and I’d always found him to be someone who was very very generous with his help and with his guidance and so I knew he was someone that I could work well with which I think created this partnership that seems to be working very well He is—and he’s always been this way—he’s absolutely passionate about everything he does He expects the best—and he demands the best of everyone around him—but he galvanizes you to give 100% of yourself and everyone that’s involved we’re in this sport because we love it and because we love the horses and we love the competition He’s created an enthusiasm in our country We were all there (at La Baule) wanting the same things And I think that that’s mostly because of what Eric has created in us and we’re very grateful to have someone of his stature that would put in the time and give of himself as much as he has What were your expectations for La Baule and then also for Dieu’s performance and I felt more and more of a partnership between us I honestly went into La Baule thinking that Dieu and I would know where we stand as a team going forward knowing his health situation and that he’s had to recently retire and knowing how bittersweet the situation was for him to be heading the team but not being able to ride in one of his favorite venues I think we all felt the importance and the gravity of the situation I wanted to do my best and not let Eric down It was definitely something that when the bell went and I was cantering to the first jump Here I am in Europe for the first time in many years and I had to tell myself to not think about that and instead think about what we came here to accomplish it was quite apparent that we all carried that attitude into the ring of wanting to do our best for Eric because he had done so much for us We were all very emotional with just the response that we had as Canadians because it trickled down from Eric We felt the importance of the events and really want to do our best for him What are your personal and professional goals for the next year I’m hoping to keep moving forward and secure a spot on the World Equestrian Games team Our next five-star competition will be Rome I have a great group of students back in Canada who are very supportive that are watching me and texting and calling and following along I wear quite a few hats in Canada: I’m on the board of directors of the Royal Winter Fair (Ontario) and I’m involved in many elements of the sport so whatever I learn over here is something that’s only going to make me more current and better able to pass that information and that knowledge on to my students and I fully intend to give them the benefit of everything I’ve had access to over here €25.00Add to cart One of the most beautiful beaches in the world with an array of small pearl-shaped shells piled up A seaside resort rich in sumptuous villas with truly stunning architecture the exceptional spa centre has chosen this majestic setting it is now ushering us into the modern era of thalassotherapy Its avant-garde and daring concept gave way to a brand new spa centre Its intimate interior made in soft and discreet tones highlights an array of sea creatures and a ballet of jellyfish inviting you to meditate Its 3000 square metres of serenity are tempting us into enjoying some unique treatments Its revolutionary seaweed wrappings avoid any hot flashes or painful confinement sensations thanks to a “Vital’Mer” an exclusive complex of seaweed cream enriched with Guerande mother waters and complemented by an infrared its unique know-how is there to relieve the most stubborn tensions Its aquatic activities have been redesigned to respect the spa centre’s motto: “Expect the unexpected” Vibrate to a lively rhythm of an Aqua Pole Dance class choreography and aesthetics will awaken your inner call for dancing… For the most adventurous try the submerged trampoline session or aquatic boxing Its original activities give a new impetus and a facelift to traditional thalassotherapy La Baule is more conscious of that than ever In partnership with the prestigious Clinique des Champs-Élysées refined and truly exclusive aesthetic treatments the Thalasso & Spa Barrière has organized “My Metamorphosis” Odyssey stay solely dedicated to your beauty and well-being health check-ups using the most sophisticated device capable of detecting deficiencies in a space of a few seconds… Tailor-made services designed to improve your overall health And don’t forget to pamper your skin anti-aging treatments are specially conceived based on an Instant Skin Condition Assessment by a Biological Research beauty expert This is where the geniune “metamorphosis” starts All this thanks to a combination of state-of-the-art devices It does take the know-how of man for the technology to make the most of its capabilities La Baule Barrière Thalassotherapy Centre really stands out for looking after its clients Think of the difference between pret-a-porter and haute couture Diet and gluttony may go hand in hand as long as the products are of excellent quality and the Chef’s imagination has no limits This is certainly the case at the Royal Barrière: a seaweed cuisine wizard is concocting his seafood-based menus with the constant ambition of creating good nutritional balance His gastronomy is evolving with the seasons in an opulent Fouquet’s setting — a Gallic version of the famous Parisian brasserie Treat yourself to a truly refined and elegant dinner the “Ponton” is offering yet another exclusive atmosphere Discover its succulent dishes inspired by the cuisines of the world a farandole of flavours and colours with your feet in the sand two lifestyles for you to endulge in all serenity The idea of marine thermal baths in the Principality first germinated in La Baule the first Royal Barrière thalassotherapy centre Prince Rainier III and Princess Caroline discovered its benefits back in 1993 thanks to Dr Yves Treguer a cardiologist and a great adapt of seawater-based preventive treatments Prince Rainier then invited the author of “An Ever Renewing Sea” to reflect on the opening of genuine marine thermal baths in Monaco The Monegasque sovereign personally prefaced his book: “From the very first hour of sea bathing in the Belle Epoque thermal baths to the specificity of an ultra-modern and luxurious thalassotherapy centre — Dr Yves Treguer’s book is taking us on this healthy walk” Based on a thorough study of the Principality’s topography Dr Yves Treguer designed the facilities with the help of the architect Lionel Bureau the Nantes-based BGC architecture agency (Bureau Comy) is still working on atypical projects renovation of historic villas and large hotels in La Baule The Thermes Marins of Monaco were designed in the spirit of the first great modern thalassotherapy centres in the Atlantic offering exceptional well-being in an exclusive setting as part of the prevention of different ailments Nowadays we are moving more and more towards prevention The advantage of thalassotherapy centres is their increasing popularity as holiday resorts We got out of the social security straitjacket to go from traditional hydrotherapy to infrastructures respecting a quality charter and offering an ideal holiday setting” is also author of a book on seawater therapeutic virtues The sea is an infinite resource for the prevention of various diseases contributing to general health improvement thalassotherapy has a bright future ahead of it Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) is back in a race leader’s jersey again today after winning the opening stage at Région Pays de la Loire Tour (2.1) He claimed victory in a bunch sprint into La Baule-Escoublac collecting his third win of the season and his second leader’s jersey in a season when he also came close to taking his first World Tour win in over two years when he was 2nd on the final stage at Tirreno-Adriatico last month And that growing list of results is clearly working wonders for the Irishman’s confidence saying he now believes he can win races at the highest level again; great news as he works his way towards the Giro d’Italia where he will be looking to add to his 10 career Grand Tour stage wins “I’m super happy,” he said after his win on yesterday’s opening stage where he topped the podium from Giovanni Lonardi (Team Polti VisitMalta) and fellow Irishman Dillon Corkery (St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93) “My teammates did an amazing job on a pretty difficult final circuit,” added Bennett and I’m particularly impressed by the youngsters who rode like experienced pros “I have a fantastic opportunity to ride for this team A victory like this makes me believe I can win at World Tour level again.” Though the four-stage race in France is a UCI 2.1-ranked event and therefore a couple of tiers below World Tour racing Bennett looked very fresh on his way to victory and was aided very strongly by his team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale was notably present in numbers in the final as the 60-man reduced peloton hurtled in towards the finish who rode for Uno-X Mobility for the last three seasons did an especially good job in bringing Bennett very close to the line making it as easy as possible for the Irish rider Sam Bennett wins the first stage of Région Pays de la Loire Tour! #RégionTourhttps://t.co/8fibNw80V4 pic.twitter.com/OEOddzFfYl We’re determined to make stickybottle.com much better for your enjoyment So become a ‘Stickybottle Supporter’ now from just €5 per month We’ve grown our audience significantly in recent years but the advertising market has become harder and harder each year In order to survive and grow – and create much better content – we need to develop an income from our readers By signing up to become a ‘Stickybottle Supporter’ you’ll be helping to secure independent coverage of Irish cycling for years to come Every cent collected from readers will be used to directly fund content Sign Up Pierre lived in Trignac in Loire-Atlantique (Pays de la Loire region) which adjoins Saint-Nazaire He was a highly skilled restorer and restorer of bagpipes having started his career as a professional turner in 1977 at the age of 14 From then he quickly specialised in exact replicas of classic and vintage sets of bagpipes His contribution to the revival of the sound and shape of early Highland bagpipes is unequalled He received tuition from leading Breton piper Jakez Pincet in the nearby town of La Baule-Escoublac Pierre was a member of Bagad Saint-Nazaire and He subsequently played with other Breton bagads but his growing interest in pipe-making soon became his full-time concern After studying the principles of acoustics as published by the German physicist he utilised these theories when making his own pipes Pierre has left a great legacy in the instruments he made and restored but his passing will be a huge loss to piping because others did not learn more from him He did at least write down much of his knowledge We extend our condolences to all who knew him Bagpiping features and news from around the international piping community Contact us: news@bagpipe.news © Bagpipe News - The National Piping Centre It was jam-packed for Sunday’s highlight at Jumping International de La Baule; the Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule The enthusiastic and knowledgeable La Baule-crowd – which over the week counted 45.000 spectators in total – created an incredible atmosphere in the François André Stadium which was filled to the brim as 50 world-class horse-and-rider combinations tested themselves over Gregory Bodo’s masterpiece of a track.  Switzerland's Janika Sprunger and her incredible 9-year-old mare Orelie who after jumping clear in her first five-star Grand Prix in St Gallen the week prior was clear again in La Baule.  All photos © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping Beth Underhill’s victory in Sunday’s CSIO5* 1.60m Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule was an emotional affair but also for Canadian Chef d’Equipe Eric Lamaze – who through Torrey Pines Stable co-owns Underhill’s winning partner Dieu Merci van T&L with Mark and Tara Dow-Rein’s Rein Family LLC.  “He was spectacular all week and didn’t put a foot wrong,” Underhill said about her winning mount that also jumped double clear in Friday’s Nations Cup to help Canada finish third.  began riding horses for Lamaze at the beginning of this season when health issues forced the 2008 Olympic Champion to take a step back. Lamaze has since announced his retirement from the sport and moved on into his new role as Chef d’Equipe of the Canadian team.  Looking back at her performance in the Grand Prix Underhill said: “As I was going into the ring for the jump-off Eric said to me ‘It’s yours to take’. It galvanized me. Eric just stood up so much recently and I know it’s been bittersweet for him to be here because he loves La Baule so much – and he has helped all of us as Canadians so much it meant a lot; I went in there and I wanted to do my best.”  we look back at some of the many magic moments from Underhill's unforgetable Sunday in La Baule.   Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping Canada’s Beth Underhill and the 13-year-old stallion Dieu Merci van T&L (Toulon x Corrado I) won Sunday’s CSIO5* 1.60m Rolex Grand Prix Ville de La Baule The 59-year-old Canadian rider joined Eric Lamaze’s Torrey Pines Stable at the end of last year taking over the riding duties on some of his top horses – including Dieu Merci van T&L The relatively new partnership seems to be a match made in heaven: After jumping double clear in Friday’s Nations Cup to help Canada finish third Underhill and the powerful stallion impressed again on Sunday with another two flawless rounds – besting a field of fifty world-class horse-and-rider combinations in one of the most prestigious Grand Prix classes on the circuit.  with the François André Stadium packed with spectators on this sunny Sunday afternoon. Gregory Bodo’s fourteen-fence track was masterfully built and in particular it was the open water at 4 the triple combination at 11abc and the penultimate plank that caused the most faults – while the time allowed of 80 seconds also played it’s part only seven of the fifty riders managed to answer all the questions asked by Bodo to clear the track Joining them for the second round were four riders on time faults from round one as well as the two fastest four-faulters.  Only two riders managed to jump double clears; the first was Brazil’s Yuri Mansur who with Vitiki (Valentino x For Expo) had delivered perhaps the most beautiful first round of the Grand Prix – effortlessly guiding his wonderful chestnut around the demanding track Although a bit of luck was involved in round two with a tap on the first oxer it was another great performance by Mansur who stopped the clock at 45 seconds over the shortened track to take the lead.  Beth Underhill entered the arena and the Canadian rider set off with determination Dieu Merci van T&L easily covers a lot of ground with his powerful canter and Underhill encouraged him for every stride – bringing the time down to 43.77 seconds as she crossed the finish line.  None of those to come could catch Underhill and Mansur home hero Pierre Marie Friant and the 14-year-old gelding Urdy d’Astree (Bouffon du Murier x Pamphile) gave it a good shot and stood for the biggest surprise of the day when being the best on behalf of the host nation with a rail down on the penultimate oxer in round two and the very quick time of 41.66 seconds This put him tied in third with Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet and Nevados S (Calvados Z x Romualdo) who carried four faults with them from round one to jump clear in round two in a time of 41.66 seconds Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat and Venard de Cerisy (Open Up Semilly x Djalisco du Guet) finished fifth and it’s been a very memorable week,” Underhill smiled after her win “I have not known Dieu Merci van T&L for very long; I have been with him for approximately two months so this is my third 1.60m class with him but he suits my style – he has a big gallop and he thrives on pace so I feel like we have gelled quite quickly.” and I was walking through the vendors and I came up to the other side of the ring and I saw the plaques of all the previous winners and I thought ‘Would it not be wonderful to be part of that?’ that group of riders and teams,” Underhill said.  and I’m so grateful to be here – for the organisers here for inviting Canada it meant so much for us to be here,” Underhill said and for Rolex who have been such sponsors for the sport for so many years – giving us the opportunity to have our sport at this level Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) has taken his third victory of the season after sprinting in at the head of the field on the opening stage at Région Pays de la Loire Tour (2.1) in France And there was good news on the double from an Irish perspective as Dillon Corkery (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93) has continued his very impressive run by taking 3rd place; his best result of the season to date Bennett got a fantastic lead-out from his team at the end of 208km of racing in to La Baule-Escoublac today His young Norwegian team mate Tord Gudmestad powered away on the front so late into the final gallop that he took 4th place on the stage who has already won two stages at Tour de la Provence this year and appears to be in much better form than at any point over the last couple of seasons He took the victory today from Italy’s Giovanni Lonardi (Team Polti Visit Malta) with Ireland’s Corkery taking a fantastic 3rd place and looking like a new rider now that he appears to have gotten under control his career-long issues with cramping in races Bennett leads overall by four seconds from Lonardi with Corking 3rd at six seconds going in to tomorrow’s stage some; some 158.5km from Cugand-la-Bernardière to Beaupréau-en-Mauges The terrain tomorrow includes repeated short climbs in the final but may still be one for the sprinters — Eemeli (@LosBrolin) April 8, 2025 Nous mettons tout en œuvre pour rétablir le service dans les meilleurs délais