The Peninsula
Whenever French riding star Julien Epaillard arrives in Qatar to take part in a competition held at Al Shaqab, you will notice that fans expect a quality performance from the 42-year-old rider.
And rightly so!
Last week, Epaillard kicked off the 2020 season with three wins at Longines Arena at Al Shaqab.
Epaillard, astride 11-year-old Virtuose Champeix, last Thursday clinched the battle in the 1.55m class, edging Great Britain’s Scott Brash to the top spot with a flawless routine in his opening win.
A couple of hours earlier the same day, he had guided Alibi de la Roque to the top spot in the two-phased 1.45m class.
Less than 24 hours later, Epaillard relied on his trusted aide Virtuose Champeix to seal another classy win under pressure at his favourite hunting ground in the jump-off of the 1.55m competition.
Last year, the Frenchman won the first round of the Longines Global Champions Tour - world’s richest show jumping series - in Doha by edging out defending champion Ben Maher by a whisker.
“I have to say I have had a super start to the season. The 2020 season for me at the moment is amazing. A lot of victories so far,” Epaillard said in an interview ahead of this week’s LGCT season opener at Al Shaqab.