By signing an absolutely perfect jump-off, perched on her little black bomb Fini l'Amour, the Frenchwoman Marie Pellegrin won the Grand Prix Defender of the CSI 2* of Equita Lyon (36.08''). The pair beat Tony Hanquinquant with Lacomonique (36.46'') and Mélanie Cloarec with Fais Toi Belle by Seigneur Pleville (36.66''). A victory with a particular taste for the one located not far from Lyon.
Thanks to an ultra-fast jump-off with Fini l'Amour, you have just won the Defender Grand Prix here in Lyon. Out of fourteen qualified couples, nine were already clear before you entered the track. Did you have a plan in mind?
Obviously I wanted to try to win (laughs). 100% of winners tried their luck (laughs). I have an exceptional horse, very fast, with whom I get along very well. As I tell my students, at the dam the plan is that there is no plan (laughs). My coach Pascal Lévy had to leave to catch his plane. He sent me messages before the jump-off to tell me “high gear but don’t get carried away”. He knows me because with Fini, who is like a little pony, I can do my junior, my pony rider, by going all out. I can sometimes break down a little and leave too quickly (laughs).
Do you seem very emotional after this victory?
Yes, it is very moving. And doubly so with the sale of Deuxcatsix d'Eglefin and the attachment I have for this black horse that I adore. He loves himself very much. He knows that he is beautiful, that he is good, he likes to be told and looked at. It was my last competition of the year so I was keen to win at home. Especially since I haven't won a Grand Prix for a long time.
What's the story with No More Love?
I found it two years ago when I had an abductor injury. I was on foot at the Grand National in Villers-Vicomte, I watched Floc jump with Benoit Cernin in the paddock. On the way I come across this little black horse with Nicolas Pailllot's rider, whom I didn't know. He turns his head towards me, comes to see me and I fell in love at first sight. I turned around, I watched him gallop and jump the one and I said to myself wow I want that (laughs). I raised my head to see who was looking at him and I saw Nicolas Paillot, whom I know very well. I asked him if it was his horse. He said yes so I grabbed his sleeve, we talked and high fived. He was 7 years old. It was sold in the United States to an amateur rider. He is a horse who has twice the quality and intelligence and twice the Arc de Triomphe in the paper so it is better that he is friends with you, that he likes you. He has a bit of character, he knows what he wants, he doesn't give in so you have to have him on your side. Nicolas had to get it back and this competition in Villers-Vicomte was the first slightly more high-end competition that he did after being put back on 125 events not far from home.
So it was a bit of fate that you found yourself in the same competition as him?
Normally I only buy young horses, not 7 year olds. But I notice that each time I don't really look for the horses, they come to me a little. There is always a bit of a story of destiny and meeting. I buy very few horses but I buy them at first sight so it's very subjective (laughs).
Full results HERE
Equestrian competitionShow jumping
