Fuchs flies to victory in Safe Riding Winning Round

22 may 2025

Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs and L&L Upgrade claimed the first honours of the week at CSIO Rome 2025 at Piazza di Siena this morning when pinning home hero, Italy’s Lorenzo De Luca with Aphrodite Van Spalbeek Z, into runner-up spot in the opening Safe Riding Winning Round.

Some of the 54 starters in this competition were just keen to let their horses stretch their legs and get familiar with the big, iconic grass arena, but Fuchs made his intentions clear with a swift first run that left him comfortably inside the top-14 to qualify for the second and deciding round.

Brazil’s Yuri Mansur and Vitiki set the early target against the clock when breaking the beam in 35.39 seconds but, seventh to go, Fuchs blew the class wide open when scorching home in 32.92 to really pile the pressure on the rest.

Challenged

Germany’s Katrin Eckermann steered Iron Dames Cydello through the timers in 34.46 to sneak in ahead of Mansur, but only De Luca seriously challenged Fuchs’ leading time, setting off like he really meant business with his 10-year-old mare with just four left to go.

And the Italian pair were only just over a quarter of a second slower when galloping through the timers in 33.20 seconds to slot into second place.

De Luca’s great record at Piazza di Siena includes victory with Halifax vh Kluizebos in the Grand Prix in 2018. And he was pleased with this morning’s result.

“My mare is very competitive and I knew she would give her best in a fast class”, he said. “We were so close to Martin... I am really satisfied and my opinion is that the competitions at the CSIO Rome are starting on an high level from the very beginning. This is the second year that I have Aphrodite Van Spalbeek Z in Piazza di Siena and she always gives me good emotions. With today's competition, I would say that we have started on the right note, which we will do everything to keep in the coming days too”.

Flying start

Fuchs, who is currently sixth in the world rankings, was delighted to get his week off to such a flying start.

“L&L Uprgrade is a fantastic horse, so fast and competitive, and he also has scope for the bigger classes. Today coming here to this incredible venue I really felt it would be nice to get my first win in this ring, so it’s a nice experience for both of us!”

He describes the 12-year-old gelding as “a real fighter with a really lovely attitude. He won the Grand Prix in Helsinki and has won also quite a few classes this year already”, he explained. The L&L prefix stands for the horse’s joint owners, Switzerland’s Luigi Baleri and America’s Laura Connolly.

Talking about the other horses he will compete at CSIO Rome this week Fuchs said, “I also brought L&L Lorde, he will jump his first Nations Cup this week, so I’m very excited about that! And then of course my top horse Leone Jei for the Rolex Grand Prix”.

ph. F.Mezzelani/Sport e Salute