GCT Estoril: the couple "Kevin Staut / Elky van het Indihof*HDC" carries on its progression.
Estoril signed the 9th step of the Global Champions Tour. Placed between two French steps (Paris and Chantilly), this event was the place of beautiful sporting moments with, among others, the victory of the world number one, Scott Brash, in the Grand Prix.
Kevin Staut returns for us on this weekend which he considers little concluding: "I am disappointed. I did not again manage to obtain expected results. This bad period begins to become long. Elky and Sunday was nevertheless perfectly ready for this competition.
Sunday, who alternated the competitions under my saddle and that of Franck Schillewaert since March, had regained full confidence and her last results were rather encouraging. Unfortunately, in the first competition in Estoril (1,45 m class), we slide in front of an obstacle and we fall. Sunday had nevertheless performed a very good beginning of course, during which I was able to squeeze a little my bends and to take some small moderate risks. I do not know why we have slided in this place. When I got out of track, I was a little angry. We work with Franck to put her in confidence on courses and to make her competitive for several months and with only one course everything is questioned. On Saturday, we thus performed a quieter course. We go out of track with three fences down but, the important for me, it is that Sunday doesn't scare herself. She will be present in Mannheim for the CSIO5* this weekend.
Elky did not make a bad competition. We are qualified every time for the second round. On the other hand, we do not manage to resolve these small faults committed during jump-off or in second rounds. This is really penalizing because Elky jumps always perfectly well. She could appear at the top of the ranking regularly, but we are every time penalized during our second courses. Globally, the result is not satisfactory but my mare evolves and, technically, there is big progresses. We begin to feel the notion of couple.
Elky takes all the same the 10th place in the big class of the first day, and the 15th rank in the Grand Prix.
This week, I shall not be in Chantilly as expected initially. However I shall participate in the CSIO5* of Mannheim, with the French team. I am very motivated with the idea of carrying the colors of my country beside, among others, of young riders who represent the future of our sport. It is going to remind to me good memories, because this is in this place that I have competed my first senior European championship, in 2007."