Epaillard Takes Victory in Basel
Julien Epaillard (FRA) with Donatello D’Auge blazed a trail that none of his fellow competitors could match as they produced an unbeatable time of 39.52 from first draw of the eight athletes qualified for the jump-off to win the 10th leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League in Basel.
Only two other athletes remained faultless in round two against the clock. Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) and Tim Gredley (GBR) waved the proverbial white flag, surrendering to Epaillard”s formidable pace and elected to ensure that they left all the fences in the cups. Both athletes achieved this and in doing so took the second and third podium positions. Van der Vleuten and his double Olympic Bronze medalist Beauville Z N.O.P clinched second place in a time of 41.49 seconds whilst Gredley piloted the exuberant 12-year-old Imperial Hbf around the course in 44.70 to claim third place.
A stellar line up of 40 pre-qualified athletes set out over Gérard Lachat’s (SUI) first round track, all vying to gain valuable points in order to qualify for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, to be staged here in Basel’s St Jabokshalle in April. As a result, a record number of athletes confirmed their attendance here for the 10th leg far earlier than usual, as the sport’s elite athletes wish to make use of the unmissable opportunity to experience the incredible atmosphere here in Basel, over courses set by Lachat who will set the tests each day for the Final in April. President of the Organising Committee in Basel Andy Kistler confirmed the extent of the increased popularity of the venue as he explained; “We have participants this year who haven’t been to Basel for quite a long time!”
When 17 athletes answered all of Lachats questions in Friday’s Grand Prix, it may have been received by the elite course builder like red rag to a bull, as today he set a full up, technically demanding and delicate course that required precision and power in equal measure. Some tight distances accounted for a number of faults and many lines presented distance options that required not only careful planning but on occasion quick reactions and improvisation.
Fifth to go Julien Epaillard guided his homebred 12-year-old gelding Donatello D’Auge around the 13-fence track with typical flair, comfortably inside the time allowed to produce the first clear of round one. Six horses later Ben Maher (GBR) and the super consistent Point Break delivered a textbook round of jumping to guarantee a jump off. The Jakobshalles’ sell-out crowd of 6500 spectators had to wait until the 20th combination before they were treated to another faultless performance. This one was worth the wait, however, as it was Switzerland’s own Martin Fuchs and Commissar Pezi who closed out the first half of round one with the third clear round.
Victorious in Verona, Germany’s Sophie Hinners looked set to join the start list for round two, but her meticulous precision throughout what was a beautiful round of jumping cost her two time faults and her place in the jump-off. Michael Duffy (IRL) was next to conquer Lachat’s course and was followed immediately by Kevin Staut (FRA) and the incredible nine-year-old mare Vida Loca Z in just her second Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Qualifier. Double Olympic Individual Bronze medallists Maikel van der Vleuten and Beauville Z N.O.P lived up to all expectations when posting clear round number six.
Gredley soon followed suit with Imperial Hbf and the jump-off order was completed when former Eventing World Champion and triple Olympic medallist, Sandra Auffarth (GER) showed off her versatility by producing the eighth and final faultless round.
Michael Duffy elected not to contest the jump-off and in doing so secured Eighth place, leaving seven athletes to battle against the clock. Epaillard opened proceedings, setting his customary blistering pace before presenting to fence one. Forward distances in minimal strides were once again order of the day for the flying Frenchman. He opted not to take a risky turn inside fence three back to 8a and 8b (formerly the first two parts of the combination), instead he went around it but kept up his pace and never broke his rhythm, breaking the beam in a time of 39.52 seconds to set the standard.
Having twice finished runner-up (in Verona and London) already in this season’s campaign, Maher was determined not play Bridesmaid once more. Matching Epaillard stride-for-stride over the first few fences, he took the only option Epaillard had left him and turned inside fence three back to the first two parts or round one’s combination. With not one straight stride on approach to the vertical at part a, he had to push to get to the oxer at part b, and paid the price as a rub of the front bar here saw him finish on four faults in a time of 39.48, 0.04 seconds quicker than Epaillard and have to settle for fifth place.
Also hungry for the win, Fuchs steered an identical line to Maher, turning inside to the combination. A loss of momentum and rhythm around the turn saw him arrive fractionally deep to part a, and his dreams of another home win also ended here as he recorded a sensationally quick time of 38.13 seconds with four faults, which was good enough for fourth place.
“When I saw Julien today, I knew it was going to be difficult to beat him, so I had to try it all. I was not so good in the World Cups lately so I am happy to secure some points today. I really, really want to be back here and to win the World Cup Final in April. I will go to Leipzig, Amsterdam, Bordeaux and Gothenburg (to try and secure enough points to qualify) and hopefully it will work out!”
Staut set out to topple his compatriot from top spot but paid the price when the first two fences fell, so settled down his inexperienced mare to complete on eight faults and take a very respectable seventh place and more points to cement his place at the top of the Western European League standings after this 10th leg.
“Donatello is a really special horse for me and my family. He’s in top shape and this is also why I really want to get to the Final this year.”Julien Epaillard
Having seen Maher and Fuchs forced into errors under the pressure laid on by Epaillard, Maikel van der Vleuten elected to play safe and deliver a clear round in order to pick up a high placing and valuable points. Beauville Z N.O.P answered every question and posted the second clear of the jump-off in a slower time of 41.49 which was enough to claim and hold onto second place. In a similar vein, Gredley, aware that his big-jumping Imperial Hbf doesn”t possess the speed across the fences or ground at this stage to demote Epaillard, sacrificed speed for accuracy in producing the third and final clear round against the clock in a time of 44.70 to slot into third position. Tim was delighted with his horses” performance and of his own tactics. He joked,
“When I watched Julien go, I thought, if they gave me 100 goes (at the jump-off) I wouldn’t be able to beat him!”
When last to go Auffarth, faulted in an attempt to post a quick time, she secured sixth place and Tim”s tactics were rewarded with a podium finish.
“I know my horse is going to jump clear rounds and the class played into my favour. All the big guys were just trying to beat each other, as they should do, and I just stuck to my plan of jumping a clear round and it’s worked out nicely.”
It was a sense of “mission accomplished” for a delighted Epaillard who’s main focus today was to secure enough points to see him qualify for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final™ here in April.
“My strategy was that I did not have so many points before this show and I really want to ride in the finals here in Basel, so it was really important for me to get some points. When I went in the ring, I saw the risk (of turning inside Fence 3 to Fence 8a and b) was big so I decided not to (turn inside fence 3) but to put enough pressure on the others.”
Epaillard’s incredible judgement of speed and pace once again shone through as none of his rivals could better his time without faulting. It was a special win for the Epaillard family, with Julien taking victory on the gelding bred by his wife Susanna Epaillard Garcia Cereceda, produced to this level by Julien and co-owned by Julien and his great supporters Hello Holdings.
“Donatello is a really special horse for me and my family. He’s in top shape and this is also why I really want to get to the Final this year.” Epaillard explained his professional and sentimental reasons for being so keen to contest this year’s Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final. Currently lying in 12th position in the Western European League standings and with three of the four remaining legs pencilled into his calendar, it would be a brave man to bet against him getting there.
After 10 legs, Kevin Staut (FRA) bolsters his lead to sit at the top of the leaderboard with 70 points, leaving Robert Whitaker (GBR) in second place with 60 points. Third, fourth and fifth positions remain unchanged as Gregory Wathelet (BEL) holds onto third place with 56 points today. Hans Dieter Dreher (GER) retains fourth position with 51 points and Pieter Devos still holds onto fifth on 47 points, just ahead of Great Britain’s Ben Maher who moves up to sit in sixth position.
The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League moves on to Leipzig (GER) as the German city stages the 11th leg on 19 January 2025 before the series jumps over to Amsterdam (NED) on 26 January 2025 for leg 12 and then down to Bordeaux (FRA) for the penultimate leg.