Gudrun Patteet wins Longines Grand Prix of Ascona

Riding the 10-year-old gelding Sea Coast Atlantic, Patteet came out best against a strong field of 49 riders to take the victory in the 1.60 metre competition.

Thirteen riders moved onto round two in this class, and against the clock the Belgian rider proved the fastest of those who with a clear round as she stopped the clock on 39.78 seconds.

In a class which was dominated by the female riders, Finland’s Anna-Julia Kontio ended second on Pacific Des Essarts with a time of 40.10 seconds, closely followed by home rider Christina Liebherr on L.B. Eagle Eye in third just 0.01 seconds behind. Fourth place also went to a home rider in the shape of Janika Sprunger on Aris CMS, while Italy’s Alberto Zorzi was the only male rider in the top five finishing fifth on Fair Light van’t Heike.

Swiss watch brand Longines supported the four-star equestrian event in Ascona for the first time as Title Partner, Official Timekeeper and the Official Watch. Patteet received an elegant Longines watch from Elisabetta Villoz and Barbara Puzella, Longines Switzerland for her success.

Besides several high-level show-jumping competitions in the French and German speaking part of Switzerland, from 2017, the Longines CSI Ascona will be the first show-jumping competition of the highest international level in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland.

Alongside Basel, Lausanne, St. Gallen, Crans-Montana and Zurich, the Longines CSI Ascona event is the sixth show-jumping event in Switzerland, which benefits from the expertise and support of the successful watch company.

There was Swiss success however in Saturday’s biggest class in Ascona – the 1.55 metre speed class, as Jane Richard Philips took the honours on Zekina Z.

The pair’s clear round of the course in a time of 32.19 seconds edged out that of compatriot Pius Schwizer on PSG Future to take victory.

Schwizer’s time of 32.54 seconds proved just short of Phillips but enough to claim runners-up spot ahead of Finland’s Anna-Julia Kontio on Fardon and their time of 33.40 seconds.
• In Dublin, Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca crowned his fantastic weekend in the Irish capital with victory in the Longines International Grand Prix of Ireland.

Having won nearly everything there was to win at the Dublin International Horse Show – including Wednesday’s Sport Ireland Classic, Thursday’s Serpentine Speed Stakes and Anglesea Stakes, Friday’s Nations Cup and Saturday’s JLT Dublin Stakes, de Luca’s confidence was on a high going into the competition.

After a double clear round in Friday’s Nations Cup with Ensor de Litrange Lxii, the pair were hotly tipped as one of the candidates to win the prestigious Grand Prix in Dublin, and they did not disappoint.

With one of only two double clear rounds in the competition, De Luca beat home favourite Shane Breen on Golden Hawk by 0.63 seconds in the jump-off that consisted of only four riders.

USA’s Audrey Coulter with Capital Colnardo finished third, with one rail down in the jump-off. Fourth place went to another home rider, Cian O’Connor, also on four faults, who secured two Irish riders in the top five aboard Good Luck.

Two riders were unlucky to miss out on the chase against the clock as Sweden’s Angelie von Essen and Czech rider Ondrej Zvara finished outside the time allowed with one penalty each to place fifth and sixth.