Thrills Galore in the Longines Trophy at CSI4 A Coruña, Won by Marlon Modolo Zanotelli

Top-class sport was on display in the Winning Round of the Longines Trophy, the feature class of the second day of CSI4* A Coruña. Last to go, Marlon Modolo Zanotelli achieved what had seemed impossible, claiming victory aboard Fusario d'Boisaille.

Ten horse-and-rider combinations qualified for the Winning Round of the Longines Trophy, contested over 1.50m fences. The decisive round provided thrilling sport, with one outstanding performance after another raising the bar.

Olympic medallist Maikel van der Vleuten moved to the top of the leaderboard aboard Beauville Z N.O.P. with a time of 40.25 seconds, a performance that looked unbeatable. However, the final two riders proved there was still room for improvement with faultless, faster rounds.

The first to do so was Italy's Emanuele Gaudiano, who guided Esteban de Hus to a time of 39.94 seconds, becoming the first rider to break the 40-second barrier. But one competitor remained. Marlon Modolo Zanotelli was determined not to settle for second place. Taking every possible risk through the turns and maintaining an exceptional gallop throughout the course, the Brazilian stopped the clock in an astonishing 39.51 seconds. As the last rider into the arena, he secured victory in the Longines Trophy after a spectacular contest at Casas Novas.

Maikel van der Vleuten finished third, while Spain's Sergio Álvarez Moya was the highest-placed home rider in fourth aboard the promising young mare Be Blue.

Gaudiano continues his winning form in the Grupo EULEN Trophy

The afternoon programme had begun with the speed class, the Grupo EULEN Trophy, which featured the same two leading protagonists as the Longines Trophy: Emanuele Gaudiano and Marlon Modolo Zanotelli. This time, however, it was the Italian who came out on top.

Gaudiano arrived in A Coruña having already won 30 international classes this season, and the Grupo EULEN Trophy brought him victory number 31. Riding the exceptionally fast Vasco 118, he became the first of the 26 starters to break the 60-second mark. Another of the show's standout performers, Marlon Modolo Zanotelli, also achieved the feat aboard Rockwell RC, but the Brazilian finished just 0.17 seconds behind the Italian.

Third place went to Spain's reigning national champion, Álvaro González de Zárate, riding Casa Diva PS. The Basque rider produced an excellent round but stopped the clock in 60.04 seconds, earning the third step of the podium.

Carlota Álvarez Becerril, Deputy General Manager of EULEN Seguridad, presented the Grupo EULEN Trophy to Emanuele Gaudiano following his victory aboard Vasco 118.

The CSI A Coruña 2026 concludes on Sunday at Casas Novas Equestrian Centre with the final four classes of the show. The highlight of the day will be the Casas Novas Grand Prix – Marqués de Riscal Trophy.