The perfect finale to a friendly show carried almost single-handedly by a passionate team of organisers and volunteers, the CSI 3* Grand Prix of Maubeuge was a reminder that there are still some “old-school” events where sport remains at the heart of everything. A species becoming rarer and rarer, and that is a real shame. In the arena, Mathieu Bourdeaud’hui and Oscar The Homage brought the weekend to a perfect close, winning after a jump-off in which only four hundredths of a second separated them from Constant Van Paesschen.

The final sprint

There was not much room for error. Nor much time to breathe. Forty-eight combinations started, nine jumped clear in the first round, and only six managed to repeat the performance in the jump-off. In the end, it was Mathieu Bourdeaud’hui who had the final word.

Partnering with Oscar The Homage, his 12-year-old BWP stallion by Quint VH Maarlo Z out of an Elton mare, the Krismar Stables rider stopped the clock in 34.76 seconds, just four hundredths faster than Constant Van Paesschen. A few centimetres making the difference between the trophy and second place.

Van Paesschen confirms

The rider from Halle, however, had every reason to be satisfied. Riding Unaki de Bornival Z, his nine-year-old mare, he confirmed the promising form of this young combination. After a fifth place in the CSI 3* Grand Prix of Le Touquet, this runner-up finish in Maubeuge adds another strong result to a particularly encouraging start to the season.

Alix Ragot completed the podium with Gueule d’Amours in 35.07 seconds, at the end of a jump-off where the slightest hesitation had to be paid for in cash.

A win that restarts the momentum

For Bourdeaud’hui and Oscar The Homage, this victory ends a year without a win. Their last time on the top step came in the Nations Cup of Deauville, where the pair contributed to the Belgian team’s performance.

ndividually, one had to go back to the CSI 3* Grand Prix of Vejer de la Frontera, in October 2024, to find the pair at the top of a ranking. A victory that rewards a combination that has remained competitive and, in Maubeuge, rediscovers the taste of first place.

Find the full results of the Maubeuge 3* Grand Prix here.

(Photos ©Jumping de Maubeuge)