The second day of action at Jumping Verona 2024 came to a thrilling conclusion with victory for Brazil’s Marlon Modolo Zanotelli and the 12-year-old chestnut mare GB Diamantina in the hotly-contested Crivelli Winning Round.
The top 12 from the first round qualified for the jump-off, and Denmark’s Andreas Schou and the 10-year-old stallion Billy Matador set the early target when clear in 39.44 seconds second time out.
Next to go however Modolo Zanotelli and Diamantina shaved almost two seconds off that when racing through the timers in 37.59 to go way out in front. Another seven horse-and-rider partnerships took their turn before Sweden’s Peder Fredricson set off with the 14-year-old Alcapone des Carmille who crossed the line in 40.56 seconds to slot into third, but the crowd waited in anticipation of the final two who were both Italians.
Penultimate partnership
The penultimate partnership of Emanuele Gaudiano and Nikolaj de Music, winners of yesterday’s Speed class, set off like they were on fire, but the spectators groaned as a pole off the fourth fence put paid to their chances. However super-hero Lorenzo De Luca was still left to run so they held their breath as he entered the arena with Violina Il Palazetto who had earned that coveted last-to-go spot with the quickest tour of the first course.
The crowd gasped again however when the first fence fell, and when the pair finished on a total of eight faults it would not be another Italian triumph but a big Brazilian celebration instead.
For 36-year-old Modolo Zanotelli who is ranked 47th in the world it was a delightful result. The Tokyo 2020 Olympian, who took team gold at the Pan-American Games in Lima, Peru in 2019 and team bronze at last year’s edition in Santiago, Chile was thrilled with the mare who he only started competing internationally in March of this year.
Quick enough
Asked if he had thought he was quick enough to win it in the second round he replied modestly, «at this level I at least never think I am fast enough – everyone else sees what you do so they try to catch you and we are in a level of sport so that it’s never enough! I’m so really pleased with her, she’s a mare that is only developing this year and she did a fantastic job again today, I’m just so proud of her!», he added.
He told her special story. «She came from Brazil from a breeder, and she is owned by a gentleman called Daniel Andrade who is a friend of my family for many, many years. He rides himself and he rode her until she was 9/10 years old and then he realised she was good and gave it to a professional rider last year. And then they trusted her to me this year and she came to Europe and has been improving and improving. The biggest she has ever done was last week in Lyon (the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup qualifier in which she finished a very creditable tenth)», he explained.
«It’s fantastic, it comes down to so much work from everyone, from Andrea my groom and Sascha at home and all my team and my family and everyone who puts in so much. Together we have developed this horse this year and to get a result like this at a 5-Star show is just an amazing feeling. We are two Brazilian-breds – horse and rider – and I am so proud of this!», he said.
