Belano vd Wijnhoeve Z helps Spain win Nations Cup in Deauville

There were particularly busy days on French soil last weekend, because in addition to the ^8th stage of the Longines Global Chamions Tour in the capital Paris, there was of course the semi-final of the Longines EEF Series in Deauville. There, there was a starring role for Spanish rider Mariano Martinez Bastida and his top 15-year-old gelding Belano Vd Wijnhoeve Z, the son of Berlin and Darco from the breeding farm of Danny De Cuyper. Indeed, Martinez Bastida and Belano Vd Wijnhoeve Z were part of the Spanish team at the CSIO3* Nations Cup on Friday afternoon, where they proved once again that they are a rock-solid combination. Both in the first and in the second and decisive round, they managed to ensure a flawless performance and with those 2 clear rounds they had an important share in the Spanish victory!

But British rider Robert Murphy also managed to secure a double clear round at the Nations Cup with his 9-year-old stallion Kannem J.A. Z, a breeding product of Jean-André Souvereyns who combined the blood of Kannan with that of Lux Z. Thanks in part to these 2 clear rounds, the British team thus ended up in^2nd place. Irish rider Tom Wachman and the 13-year-old grey gelding Berlux Z (Berlin x Major de la Cour - B: Laveco NV) had 1 penalty point for time in the first round, but managed to keep it neatly clear in the second round.

After the Nations Cup, a 1.40m class was also on the programme on Friday for the CSIO3* competition, in which French rider Mathieu Billot managed to jump to a podium place with the 12-year-old gelding Villas Z, a son of Vigo d'Arsouilles and Caretano Z bred in the Netherlands by Freek Hoogenboom. In both the^1st and^2nd phases, Billot and Villas Z could not be caught out on a fault and this performance earned them^2nd place in the standings. One day later they confirmed this good performance with a ^6th place in another 1.40m class.

Also on Saturday, there was also a^2nd place for Mariano Martinez Bastida and the 11-year-old stallion Quark de Preuilly Z, a son of Quaprice Bois Margot and Cento from the breeding of Soc. Fermiere de Preuilly. In the 1.50m main class, they were one of 20 combinations who managed to qualify for the jump-off and in it, after another clear round, they only had to beat Luxembourg's Victor Bettendorf. Polish rider Adam Grzegorzewski and the 9-year-old mare Franfreluche de Rialfo Z (Farfelu de Muze x Dokkum de Rialfo - B: Johan Bijloos) were then good for ^4th place in this class.

But there were also some individual victories in Deauville, one of which was scored by Victor Bettendorf with the 8-year-old mare Viga de la Roque Z, a daughter of Vigo d'Arsouilles and Diamant de Semilly bred by Keystud/E&MJ Sleutels. In the 1.40m opening class on Thursday, Bettendorf and Viga de la Roque Z finished in 64.27 seconds, 11 hundredths of a second ahead of the competition. But Colombian Roberto Teran Tafur also managed to secure a podium place in this opening class with the 9-year-old grey gelding Iron Maiden, a son of Clarimo and Kashmir Van Schuttershof who was born Cadans van de Ijzervallei Z to breeder Titus Vereecke. Tafur and Iron Maiden also kept just clear and with a time of 65.17 seconds they secured ^3rd place in the standings.

Finally, Deauville also saw a win for young French rider Eden Leprevost Blinlebreton and the 9-year-old gelding Depp des Brimbelles Z, a son of Darco and President bred by Haras des Brimbelles. Leprevost Blinlebreton and Depp des Brimbelles Z were the winners of the 1.35m class on Thursday and also gained ^5th place in the 1.40m class on Saturday.