Ils voulaient une grande première. Ils ont eu un grand final. Sous un soleil qui cognait presque autant que les barres, le premier Jumping International de la Province de Namur, installé à Gesves après son déménagement de Courrière, s’est offert une conclusion à la hauteur des ambitions affichées. Un Grand Prix CSI2* spectaculaire, dix barragistes, des tribunes pleines à craquer, un public qui en redemandait… et, au bout du suspense, la victoire du Suisse Guillaume Gillioz et de son incroyable Remix, 18 ans et toujours des refrains plein les jambes.
Gesves had a date with history
It was supposed to be the crowning moment of a weekend where just about everything had happened: top-level sport, shows, an auction, a football match, emotions by the shovel-load and a crowd that came to validate the transformation of the popular Jumping de Courrière into its new playground in Gesves
There was one last story left to tell.
That of the 1.45m CSI2* Grand Prix, designed by Frank Van Humbeek. Sixty combinations at the start. A course selective enough to remind everyone that the gifts had been left at the entrance.
The stands were full. So was the sun.
Let the show begin.
Laura opens the way, Loris believes hard
he first to find the winning combination was Laura Meunier. The French rider produced a clean, fluent, perfectly controlled round with Viva Fly LRW. First clear. First ticket to the jump-off.
A few minutes later, Loris Berrittella followed suit. Determined canter, tight lines, arms raised as he crossed the finish. With Kissinger Hero Z, the Belgian was not in diplomatic mode. Just in efficient mode.
And while some were already dreaming of the jump-off…
Others were breaking their teeth.
Local hero Grégory Grégory Wathelet had brought out Argentina de la Marchette, his home-bred grey mare. But Gesves is not California. Two rails on the ground put an end to the Belgian number one’s ambitions.
Same punishment for Cyril Cools or Thierry Goffinet.
There were also those who came very close. François Bossu, seven faults. Because here, the clock was handing out no presents. Arnaud Doemm et Anthony Philippaerts, meanwhile, left with five faults. Enough to feed a few regrets.
Not Fort Boyard, but Someone Still Had to Find the Key
The Grand Prix was not a Fort Boyardcell. But some would eventually get their hands on the key.
Axel Vandoorne, already very much in the spotlight all weekend, put Kaline de Fremis among the chosen ones.
Then came a comeback that was good to see. Five months away from the showgrounds after a serious knee injury,Sacha Beghuin proved he had lost none of his talent. With Livollette, he too earned his ticket to the jump-off.
The Swiss, meanwhile, were almost starting to feel the wait was getting long.
They quickly corrected the situation.
Guillaume Gillioz, rider for Steve Guerdat, placed Remix among the ten finalists. Then Kaya Ehning, imperial with Chicharita 3, joined the party.
She was followed a little later by Florence Schwizer-Seydoux and Real Star de Lorette.
People still thought Nathan Budd, Virginie Thonon or Louise Joassin might invite themselves to the dance. One rail decided otherwise, even if Louise and Lady Lou LJ produced one of the weekend’s lovely surprises.
Andres Vereecke, winner of the 4* Grand Prix of Liège last year, would be there. So would Bart Clarys.
The final guest was Gauthier Mercenier. Arriving with his ten-year-old stallion Kavinski Guiguellerie, he completed a list of ten jump-off contenders from sixty starters.
A perfect ratio.
en for one trophy
Laura Meunier opened hostilities.
Double clear. 40.88 seconds. Clean. Maybe even a little too clean.
Loris Berrittella immediately lowered the time. 39.29.
This time, the message was clear.
Behind them, things broke.
Sixteen faults for Vereecke. Four faults for Beghuin, Schwizer-Seydoux and Clarys.
Then came Guillaume Gillioz.
And with Remix, it was no longer a demonstration.
It was a reminder.
At 18, the daughter of Quidam de Revel may no longer have the freshness of a first hit, but she still has that rare quality of the great classics: they move through time without taking a wrinkle.
38″50.
The new time to beat.
Neither Kaya Ehning.
Nor Axel Vandoorne, beaten by only twenty-two hundredths with his ten-year-old SBS mare, would manage to bring it down.
Only one man remained.
A Belgian.
Mercenier makes Gesves shake… Before the tiny fault
Last to go, Gauthier Mercenier had everything needed to turn Switzerland upside down.
The crowd held its breath.
At the entrance of the former triple combination, turned into a double for the jump-off, the pair even sent a serious heatwave through the stands.
Everything passed.
Almost.
One rail fell.
The clock still showed 39.99.
Not enough.
The Grand Prix flew off to Switzerland.
Guillaume Gillioz, finally his Grand Prix
This victory was not just another win for Guillaume Gillioz.
Elle est même une première.
“I have already been placed in Geneva, I have won 1.50m classes nationally… but I had never won a two-star Grand Prix before. This is my first.”
A victory made even more important by the fact that his mare was only gradually coming back after a small physical issue at the start of the season.
he Swiss rider also admitted he had to question himself.
“She was jumping well. The problem was me. On Friday, I was riding catastrophically. Today, I said to myself: trust her the way you always have.”
And with his well-known sense of humour, he even slipped in an unexpected explanation.
“Last night, I shaved… Maybe that was it!” (laughs)
Steve Guerdat’s rider never hid his ambition in the jump-off.
“Today, honestly, I really wanted to win. When I saw there were practically only clears at the start, I said to myself: right… all-in.”
A few minutes after his victory, his phone rang.
At the other end: Steve Guerdat.
“He called me directly when I came out of the ring. He asked me: ‘Did you win?’ I replied: ‘Yes, I think so.’ He was really happy.”
Before finishing with a nice nod to the organisation:
“It is always a pleasure to come here. Grégory is a great friend of Steve’s and we are always very well welcomed. And when you leave with the Grand Prix, the road inevitably feels a little shorter.” (laughs)
Mercenier leaves a little frustrated… but happy
For Gauthier Mercenier, the frustration came down to one rail.
“No, there wasn’t much missing. Going last, with the crowd pushing, the horse was starting to allow me to add a bit more speed. I think I paid for my eight strides just before.”
The overall assessment of the weekend, however, remained hugely positive.
“Super happy. All the horses jumped well. My eight-year-old was fantastic and Kavinski jumped two clears in the ranking classes.”
Already a loyal supporter of the Namur event, he has no intention of missing what comes next.
“I love this show. The organisation with Grégory and Hugo is always perfect. I have been at every edition… and I will be there for the next ones.”
Berrittella, the podium and the pleasure of home
Third in the Grand Prix, Loris Berrittella had every reason to smile.
His student had already won the one-star Grand Prix a few hours earlier.
“It mattered to me to set the example. I tried to be the fastest, but the opponents were very motivated.”
Very attached to Kissinger Hero Z, whom he has ridden since the horse was five, the Belgian was above all savouring the road travelled.
“We took a huge amount of time to get to know each other. There have been ups and downs. Today, the maturity is coming and all the work is starting to pay off.”
With a brother involved in the organisation, this podium inevitably had a special flavour.
“It is a family show. And I really want to congratulate the whole organisation. For a first edition here, it is a real success.”
Gesves has won its bet
Beyond the sport, this first edition of the Jumping International de la Province de Namur leaves one impression above all.
That of a successful gamble.
Grégory Wathelet, the organiser, did not hide his satisfaction.
“The overall assessment is excellent. There are things to improve, of course, but the potential is huge. The public followed us despite the heat and the football. That is what matters most.”
Same satisfaction for co-organiser Ugo Berrittella.
“It was a bit like starting again from scratch. But the feedback has been extremely positive. We already have lots of ideas to improve the next editions even further.”
The Jumping de Courrière has changed address.
Not it's soul.
And judging by the packed stands, the spectacle offered throughout the week and this Grand Prix won by an irresistible Guillaume Gillioz, no one seems to regret the move.
