La Baule Derby (FRA): Steve Guerdat Wins, Ahead of Martin Fuchs, Richard Vogel, and Sophie Hinners

Just moments ago, Steve Guerdat expressed his enthusiasm for traditional tournaments (and his skepticism toward the Global Champions Tour) in an interview. Now, at the La Baule Derby on the French Atlantic coast, he has proven his enthusiasm with a victory: Riding the 12-year-old Easy Star de Talma, a French son of Quick Star (who was also successful in La Baule back in the day), the Olympic champion rode a clear round and was 0.81 seconds faster than his friend Martin Fuchs. Fuchs had saddled the KWPN mare Love de vie by Grandorado in La Baule.

A derby with plenty of action

The La Baule Derby course features several jumps and a few galloping strides through water, at the end of which there is a small steep jump. However, none of the jumps at La Baule are as high as those in Hamburg or Hickstead.

Of all things, it was at an oxer set up by the tournament’s main sponsor, Rolex—in other words, a “standard” obstacle—that Richard Vogel and the eight-year-old Holsteiner Chember met their downfall. The bay is a descendant of the Holsteiner champion stallion Charleston and competed in the Youngster Tour at the “TSCHIO” in Aachen under three-time Olympian Federico Fernandez of Mexico. The gelding was a finalist at the 2024 Bundeschampionat and subsequently competed with Jan Meves and then under David Will and Sophie Hinners.

Vogel finished fourth behind the Colombian rider Rene Lopez Lizarazo and Vida de Vy Z by Vleut, who, like the winner, is a son of Quick Star. Vogel posted by far the fastest time. Sophie Hinners also had to settle for a knockdown with Michael Jackson. The gelding had already won in Wellington with Richard Vogel. Sophie Hinners had most recently led the victory lap with him in Munich.

Results with videos: La Baule Derby 2026