Belano vd Wijnhoeve Z winner of the CSI3* Grand Prix of Doha

The magnificent Al Shaqab accommodation in Doha last week saw the third and also final week of the Doha Tour 2025. Besides the CSI5* competition, this final week in Qatar also saw show jumping at three-star level, in which the leading role was played by Spaniard Mariano Martinez Bastida and his 16-year-old top horse Belano Vd Wijnhoeve Z.

Mariano Martinez Bastida and Belano Vd Wijnhoeve Z, a son of Berlin and Darco out of the Danny De Cuyper breeding farm, had already topped the rankings several times in the last two weeks in the oil state and continued this good form during this final week. After Martinez Bastida and Belano Vd Wijnhoeve Z got off to an excellent start on Thursday during the opening day with a^2nd place in the 1.45m Longines Ranking Test, the highlight followed during the CSI3* Grand Prix on Saturday afternoon. The successful duo stayed clear in the basic round and were among the 11 combinations who managed to advance to the jump-off. There, they managed to repeat that flawless performance from the basic round and with a finishing time of 44.19 seconds they wrote another Grand Prix on their record of achievements!

During the classes of the CSI5* competition, British rider Millie Allen once again managed to jump into the spotlight with the 13-year-old mare E-Maitresse TVH Z, a daughter of Emerald van 't Ruytershof and Quidam's Rubin bred by Tim Van Hal. Allen and E-Maitresse TVH Z made a first appearance on Friday with a handsome ^4th place in the 1.45m Longines Ranking Test, but were also on target in the CSI5* Grand Prix on Saturday evening. In a jump-off for which 11 combinations managed to qualify, Allen and E-Maitresse TVH Z sped to the finish in 51.05 seconds and this resulted in ^6th place.

^5th place in this CSI5* Grand Prix then got another Zangersheide touch thanks to Swiss rider Nadja Peter Steiner and the 12-year-old stallion No-Comment de Septon, a son of our stallion Jenson van 't Meulenhof bred by Val de Somme Sprl. After a clear jump-off, they managed to finish in 48.15 seconds, slightly faster than Allen and E-Maitresse TVH Z. However, No-Comment de Septon was not the only offspring of Jenson van 't Meulenhof to jump into the prizes in Doha, as the 9-year-old mare Quirina Van Het Leliehof, owned by breeder Luc De Brabandere, also achieved a top ranking. Saddled by Norwegian rider Marit Haarr Skollerud Cox, Quirina Van Het Leliehof stayed clear in both the basic round and the jump-off during Friday's 1.50m class, finishing in ^4th place.

After their Grand Prix victory last week, Austrian rider Gerfried Puck and the 13-year-old mare Equitron Melody Vd Smidshoeve (Epleaser van 't Heike Z - B: Hugo Stevens) also confirmed their good form again. In the 1.45m speed class on Saturday, Puck and Equitron Melody Vd Smidshoeve neatly kept all obstacles in the scoops, taking ^3rd place this time.

Finally, there were also two other combinations who managed to finish ^5th in Doha. Home rider Bassem Mohammed and the 9-year-old gelding Thor Ter Wilgen Z (Taran de la Pomme x Baloubet du Rouet - B: Wilfried Rooms) achieved 5th place in the 1.45m class on Thursday, while Saudi rider Khaled Alhady and the 19-year-old gelding Capoen K Z (Converter I x Darco - B: Marc Keymis) achieved ^5th place in the 1.45m class on Friday.