Geneva, Switzerland – December 12, 2025 – A challenging jumping competition awaited the riders this afternoon in the Palexpo arena: the €59,400 Prix des Communes Genevoises CSI 5*, with a height of 1.55m and world rankings points, was also the last chance to collect points for qualification for the €1,205,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5*.
With start number 2, Piergiorgio Bucci (ITA) believed for a long time that he had already won the race after his round. The Italian, who completed a fast clear round with his 13-year-old gelding Hantano, waited patiently and watched as his competitors tried in vain to beat his sensational time of 68 seconds and 48 hundredths of a second.
Some managed to do so, but were penalised with four penalty points for faults either at obstacle no. 7, the double jump or the last obstacle. Others came very close to the result, such as Gilles Thomas (BEL) and Cian O’Connor (IRL), but they were still a few hundredths of a second away from first place.
However, Jessica Mendoza (GBR), who was already in top form at the start of the weekend, had not yet had her final say. The 29-year-old Briton, who had already won the opening class on Thursday and scored four penalty-points in the difficult Trophée de Genève yesterday evening with the same horse, In The Air, shining again this afternoon, beating Piergiorgio Bucci (ITA) by almost seven tenths of a second.
Final Results – €59,400 Prize of the Communes Genevoises CSI 5*
1) Jessica Mendoza (GBR) & In the Air – 0 – 67.83
2) Piergiorgio Bucci (ITA) & Hantano – 0 – 68.48
3) Cian O’Connor (IRL) & Genghis Khan – 0 – 68.55
Source: News Release from CHI de Genève
Photos: © CHI de Genève / Photo Scoopdyga / Bertille Prod.
