Michel Hecart wins the La Baule Derby

With the crowd clapping in rhythmical unison, France’s last chance for a win in the prestigious and thus far, highly difficult Derby de la Region des Pays de la Loire, entered the ring. One hundred and fifty seconds later, Michel Hecart and the wily Irish bred gelding Thats Life galloped home with the only clear round of the day in front of thousands of screaming fans who were no longer worried about clapping in rhythm.

The Derby class at La Baule was a Table A against the clock, FEI Art. 238.2.1 and 277. The height of the fences was approximately 1.50m, which made it a large course for speed horses, and it also included a lengthy 21 numbered jumps that consisted of 24 obstacles in a time allowed of 168 seconds. The impressive course featured an open water jump, liverpools, two sections of banks and ditches, a hill, and a pond that horses had to canter through to a jump. This week’s course designer is Frederic Cottier of France.

The stout jumps and complicated topography set a large challenge for the 19 entries in the class. The first pair into the ring, John Whitaker (GBR) and Lactic Two, were eliminated. Saudi Arabia’s Faycal Al Chalaan and Rathwan suffered a similar fate, and four other riders retired their horses on course.

Going third in the line-up was Ireland’s Cian O’Connor and Casper. Their only faults came at fence 13, a somewhat plain oxer in the middle of the course. Casper looked like he saw a ghost at the pond and nearly unseated O’Connor, but the pair finished with an impressive four faults in a time of 164.79 seconds. O’Connor and Casper competed in

this Derby three years ago and finished second, but they had to settle for third place today.

Eleven more combinations attempted the course after O’Connor, none with less than eight faults, until the Netherlands’ Jurgen Stenfert and the big BMC’s Chicago took a conservative approach. It netted them only one rail at fence 19 at the bottom of the hill, but added three time faults. They finished with seven faults in 177.85 seconds and stood currently in second place.

The lead would change hands 16 horses after O’Connor when Belgian’s famous representative Ludo Philippaerts tackled the course with Tauber van het Kapelhof.
The solid black stallion is a son of the famous Belgian Warmblood Darco, one of Philippaerts most well-known mounts. The pair picked up a quick pace from the beginning, and they had an unfortunate rail on the out of a two stride combination which gave them four faults. Philippaerts made every available inside turn to catch O’Connor’s time and was successful. They moved into the lead with a time of 158.18 seconds, six and a half seconds faster than the leading time.

Eight Frenchmen were entered in the Derby, but none had less than 12 faults until Michel Hecart and Thats Life entered the ring as the second to last in the class. It was

France’s last hope of victory. As Hecart cleared each difficult portion of the course, the crowd would shriek and then shush each other. When Hecart made the turn to the last jump, a few brave souls yelled for a faster gallop. Pandemonium ensued after he cleared the last jump and crossed the timers in 150.84 seconds. Not only was Hecart the only clear round, but was the fastest as well!

The Derby at La Baule may have been a difficult course for many, but it was a highly charged, spectator-friendly, and extremely exciting event.

Results (06.05.06)
Derby de La Baule – A2 – 1,50m

1º Michel Hecart (Fra) / Thats Life / 0-150,84
2º Ludo Philippaerts (Bel) / Tauber Van Het Kapelhof / 4-158,18
3º Cian O’Connor (Irl) / Casper / 4-164,79
4º ürgen Stenfert (Hol) / Chicago / 7-177,85
5º Pius Schwizer (Sui) / Coolman V / 8-163,87
6º Edward Doyle (Irl) / Utopia Vi’t Hoogveld / 10-174,54
7º Markus Fuchs (Sui) / Sylver II / 12-152,64
8º Jean Claude Vangeenberghe (Ucr) / Coronation / 12-156,92
9º Eric Navet (Fra) / Hym D’isigny / 12-157,4
10º Frederic Busquet (Fra) / Kentin De Moyon / 12-161,23