So who won the biggest money show jumping grands prix this weekend?
“Who?” is the operative question.
Odds are the average show jumping fan never heard of Brazil’s Luciana Lossio, number 510 on the Longines ranking list. But she defeated a host of much better-known riders Saturday night in the $385,000 FEI 5-star Bainbridge Companies grand prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida.
Ditto William Greve of the Netherlands, number 30 in the rankings but tops in the current leg of the Rolex Grand Slam across the Atlantic on Sunday.
Luciana, who works as an attorney when she’s not riding, enjoys a better niche when paired with her horse, Lady Louise Jmen, number 114 on the rankings.
The amateur riding in her first 5-star topped a five-horse jump-off over an Alan Wade-designed course in 39.15 seconds, ahead of Nayel Nasser, who rides for Egypt on Igor van deWhittemore (39.57.) The top-placed U.S. rider was Karl Cook, third on Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet (39.9).
Luciana Losio and Lady Louise Jmen on their way to victory in Wellington. (Photo by Sportfot)
Luciana, who is qualified for the Paris Olympics, exclaimed, “This is unbelievable for me; I’ve been with this mare for six years and in the beginning I just wanted to jump 1.20m, but we became so much more.”
“We went higher and higher, and today I’m here in my first 5-star and winning alongside these riders that I just enjoy watching.”
Of her horse, a 14-year-old mare foaled in Brazil, Luciana said, “She’s so confident; she doesn’t change from day to night or from the grass to the sand; she’s perfect.”
Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, William and Highway TN NOP he finished an amazing 0.04 seconds — just a heartbeat — ahead of world number one Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden and the fabulous King Edward in the seven-horse jump-off at the Dutch Masters leg of the Rolex Grand Slam.
“I have to pinch myself – it is unbelievable,” said William, who earned the top prize of 330,00 Euros in the 980,000 Euro competition.
“Words cannot describe how I am feeling. I am so thankful for my horse for his courage and his mentality. It means so much to me to win in front of my home crowd – the history here is incredible, and it is an honor to add my name to the list of winners. I have been coming to The Dutch Masters since a was a small child, and so to win here is a dream come true.”
A big bonus comes to a rider who can win two of the Grand Slam’s four legs in a row. That would have been Richard Vogel of Germany, the winner in Geneva last winter. But he did not bring his top horse, United Touch S and instead rode Cepano Baboulet, thinking the smaller ring size ring in S’Hertogenbosch would suit him better. He did not fare well, however, over the course designed by Louis Konickxx and wound up last of the 28 competitors who completed the route. He wound up with 20 penalties.