Marc Dilasser sets a first record

The highlight on the first day of the 34th Jumping International de Bordeaux was evidently the comeback of the high jump competition.

As the outcome in Bordeaux is always very satisfying, the reintroduction to this event concluded with a French victory. Marc Dilasser set the first record with his powerful mare Non Coupable at 2.10m.

The result is, of course, still far away from that of the Chilean rider Alberto Larraguibel Morales, who established the record of 2.47m with Huaso in 1949, but those were different times. The obstacles were heavy, massive and very solid triple-barres. The obstacles used for the competition in Bordeaux were much lighter verticals, however not less impressive than their counterparts of the past.

Of thirteen participants, only three made it into the final round to attempt 2.10m: the Irishman Denis Lynch with Upslon d’Ocquier, the German Marco Kutscher with Quatell and Dilasser with Non Coupable. The mare did not impress physically next to her big, strong disputants, which might be the reason why she was the only one to cope with this enormous vertical with certain lightness. Dilasser has “not been riding the mare for a very long time. I knew that she had participated in competitions of this kind with her former rider but it was the very first time that I did this with her. I did not know where it would lead me”. In this case, it lead him to his first victory in Bordeaux, a very pleasant result considering that it’s only his third participation in a five-star CSI!

Marc Dilasser will thus participate in his first World Cup qualifier tomorrow, which will be a completely different matter as it is the most difficult dare of this sport, with a very big and technical course that’s been conceived to challenge some of the world’s best horses. The World Vice-Champion, Olivier Guillon, will mark the start of the World Cup at 8.30pm.

The class will be followed by the Driving World Cup that only leaves us with one question: Who is going to be the surprising winner over the Australian Boyd Exell?