21 March '24
Ali Ramsay and Bonita vh Keizershof Z shine again in Thermal!
© Ali Ramsay
Besides the 10th week of the Winter Equestrian Festival at Wellington International, there was also international action at Thermal's Desert International Horse Park in the United States last weekend. There, Canadian rider Ali Ramsay once again managed to provide some strong performances with her 13-year-old mare Bonita vh Keizershof Z, a daughter of Bustique and For Pleasure who was bred in Belgium by Leon Otten and with whom Ramsay also managed to take 4th place twice in Thermal last month. Last weekend, the duo started their competition with a2nd place in the 1.50m class on Friday and also managed to claim a leading role in the CSI4* GP on Saturday. Indeed, after a clear basic round, they were one of only two combinations who managed to get through the tough basic round run by arena builder Peter Grant and his team unscathed, thus qualifying for the jump-off. In that jump-off, Ramsay and Bonita vh Keizershof Z again jumped a strong round, but a fault on the very last obstacle meant they eventually had to settle for2nd place in the standings.
Ali Ramsay: "Bonita really is a very special mare. She has so much heart and ability. She has a fantastic attitude and thinks things should be done her way! During her training, I always knew she was special, but she kept exceeding expectations, right up to 5* Grand Prix level! She is extremely competitive and goes into the ring to win every time!"
In addition to her good performance with Bonita vh Keizershof Z, Ramsay also managed to jump into the prizes in Thermal with the 11-year-old gelding Conrado 12, a son of Cardento VDL and Diarado, who was born as Conrado Z at breeders Duka Invest D.O.O. During the 1.45m speed class on Friday, Ramsay and Conrado 12 kept all the balls neatly in the reels and a finishing time of 76.21 seconds also earned them2nd place in the standings.
However, 3rd place in this 1.45m class was also taken by a Zangersheide horse thanks to American rider Laura Hite and the 12-year-old chestnut stallion Aviator Z, a son of Breitling LS and Indoctro who was born to breeders Ad and Astrid Beijsens of the Bemi Hoeve as Q. Best Seller Z. Hite and Aviator Z also produced a flawless round in a time of 78.94 seconds.