French Flair on Full Display as Staut and Vida Loca Z Claim 1.50m 5* Lugano Trophy at LGCT
Mdmar – Ramatuelle- LGCT
Kevin Staut and Vida Loca Z deliver a lightning-fast home-soil masterclass to win the Lugano Trophy on Day 2 of Longines Global Champions Tour of Ramatuelle, St. Tropez.
Beneath the golden Riviera sun and in front of the iconic Pampelonne Beach backdrop, Day 2 of the Longines Global Champions Tour of Ramatuelle, St. Tropez exploded into life with a thrilling CSI5* Lugano Trophy 1.50m jump-off class.
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In a packed grandstand-electric atmosphere, France’s Kevin Staut turned in a faultless and fearless round aboard Vida Loca Z, crossing the finish line in a blistering 34.75 seconds to clinch the Lugano Trophy. His combination of agility and heart earned thunderous applause from the local fans.
Speaking to GCTV Kevin Staut smiled: “I was sure that I could take a short turn to the last oxer, which was where I gained the most time. So I didn’t over push in the beginning because I knew I could make up time at the end. She is a fantastic mare. I have ridden her since she was 6 years old, she has the quality to be a champion, and she has already had quite a few good wins. To then win a big five-star competition here in France, I am just hoping for the best for the future because she really is an amazing horse.”
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Only three riders managed to stop the clock in the jump off without faults. Jana Wargers (GER) and Dorette OLD pushed hard to finish a close second in 35.14 seconds, while rising French rider Charlotte Leoni and Cyclone l’Epivent secured third place with a clean round in 37.62 seconds, much to the crowd’s delight.
Presenting the perfect mix of speed and drama, 2024 LGCT Champion Austria’s Max Kühner and EIC Julius Caesar clocked the fastest time but incurred 4 faults in 34.45 seconds, while class favourite Katrin Eckermann aboard Chao Lee also had four faults in 35.00 seconds taking an excruciating rail at the penultimate fence. Belgium’s Jérôme Guery, riding Careca LS Elite, entered the ring with one thing in mind. The lightning-fast duo delivered the quickest round of the day (34.23 seconds) but collected 8 faults, taking the last two fences and leaving them in sixth.
*“mdmar” website for horse races and equestrian News
It was a class packed with riveting moments – from nail-biting zero-fault finishes to high-speed near-misses – and capped with a sterling performance by the home favourite. As the prize-giving concluded, the DJ got going and the audience spilt into the pulsing village.
Top 6 – CSI5* Lugano Trophy 1.50m Jump-Off, Ramatuelle, St. Tropez
Kevin Staut – Vida Loca Z – 0 faults, 34.75 sec
Jana Wargers – Dorette OLD – 0 faults, 35.14 sec
Charlotte Leoni – Cyclone l’Epivent – 0 faults, 37.62 sec
Max Kühner – EIC Julius Caesar – 4 faults, 34.45 sec
Katrin Eckermann – Chao Lee – 4 faults, 35.00 sec
Jérôme Guery
– Careca LS Elite – 8 faults, 34.23 sec
Relive every stride and turn on demand – tune into the Lugano Trophy replay on
GCTV!
And don’t miss what’s next: the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of
Ramatuelle, St. Tropez, kicking off tomorrow evening under the Riviera lights
at 5.45pm local time. It’s going to be one for the history books!
*“mdmar” website for horse races and equestrian News
The “Mdmar” website which was Founded by Khaled Makhlouf in 2007 for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
