Simon Delestre: A New Victory in Chantilly

The history of Simon Delestre and Chantilly goes way back. Five years ago he won the national Grand Prix and ever since, the young rider from Lorraine has grown up: Today he wins over the world’s best riders on the new arena that is named after its initiator Edouard de Rothschild.
The riders of today’s Prix France Galop came to Chantilly with differing ambitions: Marco Kutscher, the current leader of the Global Champions Tour, belongs to those who were able to profit from it by preparing their horses for the Grand Prix EADS of tomorrow. But there were also those who – like Simon Delestre – came with the intention to add this victory to their personal ranking list. Delestre succeeded on Mélodie Ardnete, who already won a beautiful “four star” class in Chantilly last year.

“To win here among such high-level riders is exceptional! In my Grand Prix preparation of this morning I was riding Napoli in the Grand Prix Logica (1,40m) and it went really well. My horse loves great galloping spaces and I am confident about tomorrow. The arena is sublime, you could ask any rider and he would agree on that”, states today’s winner.

And Delestre is right: The other rider’s statements about the arena were similar to his. Marcus Ehning, currently world n°4, finds “the arena very good. And it was me who inaugurated it this morning”, he adds proudly.

Tomorrow, the arena will be the showplace of one of the most important sporting events of the equestrian season: The seventh stage of the Global Champions Tour, the Grand Prix EADS that starts at 3.30 pm and will ensure a suspenseful afternoon that should not be missed!

Results
1 MELODIE ARDENTE - Simon DELESTRE (FRA)  60,16
2 VDL GROEP CAMARA - Leopold VAN ASTEN (NED) 60,62
3 CALVADOS Z - Christian AHLMANN (GER) 61,39

All results : http://www.globalchampionstour.com/events/2010/chantilly/results/207/prix-france-galop---class-4-csi5--1m50

Program Saturday 24th July :
12.30 pm Prix Amundi CSI***** 1,40m 20 000 €
3.30 pm: Grand Prix Global Champions Tour EADS,CSI*****, 1,60m 285 000 €

Photo of Simon Delestre Copyright R&B Presse