Maxime Livio and Boleybawn Price are victorious again. Photo courtesy of CHI Geneva.
Just a couple of weeks after taking top honours in the indoor eventing competition at the Sweden International Horse Show, France’s Maxime Livio and the eighteen-year-old Boleybawn Prince — a horse who competed for Thailand at the Tokyo Olympics under Maxime’s student, Arinadtha Chavatanont — have won again, this time in the fast and furious class at the CHI Geneva show in Switzerland.
In a thrilling competition, Maxime produced a superb round, finishing a whisker outside the ideal time but doing enough to succeed 2021 winner Robin Godel of Switzerland, who finished fourth, and best of the home side, on Big Diamond. Livio’s compatriots Karim Laghouag (aboard 19-year-old former team ride Punch de l’Esques, who was tonight making the last competitive appearance of his fine career) and Sébastien Cavaillon (Black Pearl Z) finished second and third respectively, completing a stunning French sweep of the podium.
“Boleybawn Prince hates it when he can’t come and compete with us,” says Maxime, who has targeted the gelding at lower intensity indoor classes to allow him to continue working. “He’s getting older but he’s still competitive, so indoor cross events like this one in Geneva are the perfect opportunity for him to have some fun. He excelled himself today, like he always does. He’s in great form, which is nice to see.”
16 competitors from nine different countries took part in the competition, which was staged on Friday night of the prestigious show. You can check out the full results — and watch videos of each competitors’ round, which took place across two arenas — here, or keep scrolling for the highlights from social media.
