The crowd had even more to cheer about when Giulia Martinengo Marquet, for many years the darling of Italian showjumping, posted the third home victory of the opening day of Jumping Verona 2024 with Delta Del’Isle in the Selleria Equipe 1.55m Jump-Off this evening.
Emanuele Gaudiano had stolen the limelight with an amazing double of wins for the host nation earlier in the day. But tonight it was all about the 45-year-old lady who has represented her country at three European Championships and whose sensational ride against the clock had spectators on the very edges of their seats.
It was always going to be a tough one to win when 20 of the 48 starters made the cut into the second-round jump-off against the clock. Uliano Vezzani’s track invited riders to find their own shortest route, and several paid the price for cutting inside the big oxer that was now three fences from home while en route to the double at fence three which proved the bogey in the second round.
Victims
Austria’s Max Kuhner was the first of its victims when third to go with EIC Cooley Jump the Q, but Germany’s Mario Stevens produced the first clear when sixth into the ring with Starissa FRH who stopped the clock on 37.27 seconds. Dutchman Kevin Jochems was just a little slower, 37.74, with the grey mare Camilla van de Helle and then the relatively unknown 26-year-old Lara Tryba from France put in a brilliant performance with her 12-year-old gelding Memphis Z to also leave the course intact in 39.86 seconds which, temporarily, slotted her into third place.
With just four left to go however the leading three were all demoted by Martinengo Marquet and the 11-year-old French-bred gelding with which she finished fifth in the Grand Prix in Windsor (GBR) in May before their Nations Cup appearance in Rome and further good results in Falsterbo (SWE) and Dublin (IRL) over the summer months.
On fire
The pair were on fire as they scorched through the finish in the winning time of 35.27 seconds.
«I’m so happy, so proud of my horse, and my fantastic team behind him – this is our home show so it’s the best start ever!» said the delighted Italian star. She couldn’t stop hugging her horse. «He’s a cracker, he’s amazing, he has such a big stride and on the other hand he is so careful, so incredible, he surprises me every time and he excites me every day I ride him. I can ask him anything!», she said.
And she was full of gratitude for the advice she got from multiple medallist and three-time FEI World Cup champion Marcus Ehning from Germany. «He said not to cut the turn inside to the double but to stay out and keep going – I stuck to his plan and it worked out perfectly!»
Asked if her game gelding has a pet name at home she replied «he’s known as Delta – but in the team we call him The Prince!»
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Ph. JV/SGrasso
