05 February '25
Basic Instinct Z and Vamos de la Pomme d'Or Z help colour the Grand Prix podium in Oliva
© Hervé Bonnaud
At the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour in Oliva, Spain, the first part of the MET Spring Tour 2025 concluded last weekend with a three-star competition. The CSI3* Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon was the absolute highlight of the weekend and with two Z-horses claiming a place on the podium, that Grand Prix was again excellent for our blue and yellow colours of Zangersheide!
The best performance came from Belgian rider Elke Appeltans and the 12-year-old gelding Basic Instinct Z, a son of Balou du Rouet and Quintus from the Klaas De Coster stud farm. Appeltans and Basic Instinct Z stayed clear in the 1.50m basic round and were among the nine combinations who managed to advance to the jump-off. In that decisive round they managed to repeat their flawless performance from the first round and with a finishing time of 41.19 seconds they secured silver.
But the 3rd place in this Grand Prix was also taken by a Z-horse thanks to Appeltans' compatriot Bart Jay Junior Vandecasteele and the 10-year-old grey gelding Vamos de La Pomme d'Or Z, a son of Vigo d'Arsouilles and Ogano Sitte bred by Patrick Huyse, with whom Vandecasteele also managed to qualify on Thursday and Friday. They too managed to ensure a clear jump-off, but took a bit more time and eventually reached the finishing line in 46.89 seconds.
Another combination that had another strong weekend was Italian rider Lorenzo de Luca with the 10-year-old mare Aphrodite Van Spalbeek Z, a breeding product of Frans Liefsoens who combined the blood of Atomic Z with that of Flamenco de Semilly. Just like during the opening week, de Luca and Aphrodite Van Spalbeek Z started their competition on Thursday with a win in the 1.45m main class, but this time they also managed to secure a top ranking in the Longines Ranking class on Sunday morning. Both during the1st and2nd phases, they could not be caught out on a fault, resulting in a 5th place.
Then2nd place during that 1.45m main class on Thursday was for French rider Luca Fournier with the 11-year-old mare Cyrannan Z, a daughter of Cyrano du Ruisseau Z and Heartbreaker bred in France by Francesca Gobessi and Joy Najem. They too provided a strong round, but thus had to acknowledge their superiority to the performance of de Luca and Aphrodite Van Spalbeek Z.
Furthermore, young Belgian rider Mathieu Guery also jumped into the prizes twice with the 11-year-old gelding Tender Dream Hero Z, an offspring of Thunder Vd Zuuthoeve and Carthago Z bred by High Juper Sprl, with whom Guery became Belgian Champion in the Juniors in 2023. The duo started their week on Thursday with a 6th place during the 1.30m class and a day later they managed to secure a 3rd place during the 1.40m class.
There were also two placings for German rider Jörne Sprehe with the 8-year-old mare Dalslund's Rock Me Z, a daughter of none other than Dominator 2000 Z and Eldorado van de Zeshoek bred in Sweden by Ingela Edgren. Sprehe and Dalslund's Rock Me Z secured 6th place in the 1.35m class on Friday, while they took 9th place in the 1.40m class on Saturday.
Finally, Belgian rider Niels Bruynseels also managed to place twice with the 9-year-old gelding Diamond Quality Z, a son of Diamant de Semilly and Cornet Obolensky out of the breeding of Koen Terryn of Quality Stud. In both the 1.45m Longines Ranking class on Friday and the 1.40m class on Saturday, Bruynseels and Diamond Quality Z managed to take 10th place.