PRET a Tout more than lived up to his name when carrying German ace, Marcus Ehning, to victory in last Sunday’s Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Western European League qualifier at Madrid in Spain.

Fourth to go in a breathtaking nine-horse jump-off, the pair took the lead with a spectacular run that stopped the clock in 43.30 seconds and couldn’t be caught. Ehning’s compatriot Christian Ahlmann came a close second with his exciting nine-year-old stallion Dominator 2000 Z, while Belgium’s Pieter Devos and Espoir finished third.

Ehning was at his very best, so fast that he could take a check before the last and still set an unbeatable target. He wasn’t quite so convinced himself however. “I thought maybe I had left a small gap, but as it turned out I didn’t!” he said afterwards.

Italy’s Emilio Bicocchi and Evita SG Z produced the first jump-off clear in 44.93 and then Devos and his big-striding gelding Espoir raised the bar with a flyer at the last to break the beam in 43.66. But Ehning and Pret a Tout shaved almost a quarter of a second off that when galloping through the finish in 43.30.

He then had to sit back and watch the five that followed him, only Ahlmann and his lovely nine-year-old stallion Dominator seriously threatening when scorching home in 43.53.

A little wobble on the gallop to the final oxer may have made all the difference. “I had a chance to win today but my last line was not the best,” he admitted.

Ireland’s Denis Lynch (Rubens LS La Silla) and Mark McAuley (Miebello) both made it through to the jump-off but finished in eighth and ninth place, respectively, when faulting against the clock. Billy Twomey (Kimba Flamenco) picked up a single time fault in the first round to finish 10th.

Ehning was delighted with Ruth Krech’s 16-year-old gelding who clearly still loves his job. “He’s a very fast and experienced horse, and I also have a bit of experience!” said the double Olympian and three-time World Cup champion who is one of the most admired horsemen in the sport.

“He has his own style and it’s not classical but his mind is really, really good and he’s very flexible and that helps him a lot. He’s a real personality, he’s quite lazy, but he knows he’s a very good horse so he always feels very proud of himself!” said Ehning, who is targeting the World Cup at Olympia in London later this month.