Five-star debut brings win for Luciana Lossio

Six years ago Brazil’s Luciano Lossio and her 14-year old mare Lady Louise Jmen were competing in the 1.20m – last night they took on their first five-star and won.

Champagne all round for Luciana Lossio’s five-star debut and win. Photo: Sarah Eakin

“My first five-star. I don’t even know what to say,” said Luciana after a champagne celebration on the podium, surrounded by her family and friends from Brazil, having clinched victory in the $385,000 CSI 5* Grand Prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival and claimed a first-prize purse of just over $127,000.

Only four rider and horse combinations made the jump-off and Ireland’s Darragh Kenny cited the time allowed as part of the challenge. “The time was a bit tight and it caused a few problems,” he said before the jump off featuring fellow countryman Shane Sweetnam and Otis Blue, Egypt’s Nayel Nassar aboard Igor Von De Wittemoere and American’s Karl Cook, who went first in the jump off aboard Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet. “I would like Shane to win because he’s Irish,” said Darragh. “But I think Karl Cook is going to be hard to beat.”

Karl Cook and Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet setting the pace in the jump off at Saturday Night Lights. Photo: Sarah Eakin

Karl set the bar high with a clear round in 39.9 seconds but that was not the end of the story. “It’s interesting to go first in the jump off,” said Karl. “As it’s a different dynamic. Obviously you want to go as fast as possible but you haven’t seen anyone else go so, the smartest thing to do is to go as quick as you can without being reckless. The idea there is that you put the pressure on the people that follow.”

Nayel shaved off increments finishing in 39.57 to take eventual runner-up and then Luciana made her winning time of 39.15.

“We ride together for six years already,” she said of Lady Louise. “We were in 1m20 and then we were going up, up, up and now we are here in the five star. She’s amazing.”

Shane was last to jump and when a rail fell, it was time for Luciana and her family to cheer and celebrate at the ingate. The near capacity crowd were behind her for the victory gallop and neither she nor her horse seemed fazed by the atmosphere. “She doesn’t look at anything. She’s very honest,” Luciana said.