From La Baule to Dinard, Steve Guerdat and Easy Star de Talma seem to have found their favourite playground: Derbies. The Swiss rider and his 12-year-old Selle Français once again splashed, climbed, descended and jumped faster than everyone else this Saturday at Val Porée. After two consecutive victories in La Baule, Dinard has now fallen too. Next swim in Brussels?

There are horses who like perfectly flat arenas, freshly harrowed sand and courses where every stride looks like the last.

Then there’s Easy Star de Talma.

He, apparently, when he spots a bank, a mound, a water jump and a few obstacles that make you want to pull on rubber boots rather than polished shoes, seems to think the day is off to a pretty good start.

Steve Guerdat too.

This Saturday in Dinard, the Swiss rider and his 12-year-old Selle Français once again turned a Derby into a health walk. Well, so to speak. Because the Derby of Val Porée is still around 1,100 metres, 25 efforts and more than two minutes of galloping between traditional fences, barriers, a gate, mounds, banks and passages through water.

A little Breton hike. With €40,000 at the end.

Easy Star, all-terrain mode

And the least one can say is that Easy Star de Talma is starting to seriously enjoy the concept.

In cathedral silence until the final fence, the rider from Jura built his round. And when we say built, we really mean built. Clear, Steve Guerdat stopped the clock at 155.19 seconds.

Spain’s Armando Trapote and Caept’n Hook tried to follow, but finished more than five seconds behind, in 160.81.

Crossing the line clear already looked like a small victory for Alberto Sanchez-Cozar with Giovani de Perhet. He did not hide it. The pair completed the podium in 169.19, just ahead of Belgium’s Thibeau Spits and Quendelin van’t Merelsnest, also clear.

In short, Guerdat did not simply win. He still had plenty of time to wipe his feet after coming out of the water.

And this success was no trial run.

The son of Quick Star and Talma de Toscane, by Opium de Talma, bred by Michel Guiot, even seems to have calmly decided to build himself a second career: Derby horse.

La Baule, Dinard… same fight

Because barely a month and a half ago, Easy Star de Talma was already doing exactly the same thing in La Baule, another Rolex Series venue.

On June 13, Steve Guerdat and his stallion won the legendary Derby of La Baule, clear in 129.73, just ahead of Martin Fuchs and Love de Vie. (our article here)

And again, this was no discovery.

They had already won La Baule in 2025.

Two editions, two victories. Before that, they had finished second in 2024. And for those who think Easy Star only pulls out his swimsuit when he sees the French Atlantic coast, the pair also won the Derby of Falsterbo in 2023, finished second in Sweden in 2025 and fourth this year.

Some clues are starting to look like evidence.

Easy Star loves Derbies. And not just a little, my friend.

Dinard, he had been circling it

In Dinard too, Steve Guerdat already knew the way. Rather well, in fact.

In 2022, he finished third in the Derby with Double Jeu d’Honvault. A year later, he returned with Easy Star de Talma and again took third place, behind Emeric George and Nicolas Delmotte.

In 2024? Same again. Easy Star was back in the mix and finished fifth with four faults.

Last year, Guerdat ultimately did not start the class, leaving Sophie Hinners and Munin to claim the Derby.

So one line was missing.

2026: first.

The collection is almost complete

And above all, it says something about the pair. Because a Derby does not ask for exactly the same qualities as a classic Grand Prix. It requires honesty, stamina, balance, acceptance of changes in terrain, climbs, descents, water and those obstacles horses almost never meet during the rest of the year.

In other words, it requires trust.

Easy Star seems to have plenty of it in Steve Guerdat.

And Steve Guerdat seems to be having plenty of fun with Easy Star.

Brussels, Did You Say Brussels?

One question of absolutely capital importance now remains.

Where is the next Derby?

Well… in Brussels.

The Brussels Stephex Masters has just decided to add a new attraction to its programme this year: the Brussels Derby Challenge, to be held on Saturday, August 29. Brussels Derby Challenge, to be held on Saturday, August 29.

Everything needed, then, to give the Swiss rider a few ideas.

Only one snag: this year, the Brussels Derby will be reserved for CSI3* and CSI2* competitors. Not for the CSIO5* riders.

A shame.

Because after La Baule and Dinard, we would happily have watched Easy Star de Talma go and put his hooves in the Brussels water.

The hat-trick would have had style.

So, over to Stephan Conter’s team for 2027? A 5* Derby, perhaps?

Steve Guerdat already knows a horse.

(Photos © Rolex Series)