20 June '23
Cassina Z wins the CSIU25 GP of Stockholm!
© Longines Global Champions Tour
After the legs in St. Tropez and Cannes, the Longines Global Champions Tour headed north last weekend and more specifically to the Swedish capital Stockholm. Most of the attention during this 7th leg of the season naturally went to the CSI5* competition with the team competition of the Global Champions League and the famous LGCT Grand Prix, but there was also a CSIU25 competition on the program in which several Zangersheide- horses came out particularly strong. The victory during the CSIU25 GP went to the Danish lady rider Benedicht Rie Truelsen with the 17-year-old grey mare Cassina Z, a daughter of Cassini I and Voltaire who was bred in Germany by Franz-j. Jansen. Rie Truelsen and Cassina Z were already placed the days before with a 4th place and a 7th place and were one of the 6 combinations that managed to qualify for the jump-off during the CSIU25 GP. As the first combination at the start, the duo immediately set the tone with a clear round in 42.94 seconds and this turned out to be enough for the victory.
Another striking combination during the CSIU25 competition was the Belgian rider Dieter Vermeiren with his 15-year-old grey gelding Kingston Town 111 Z (Kashmir Van Schuttershof x Chellano Z – B: Stud 111). Both on Friday and Saturday, Vermeiren and Kingston Town 111 Z jumped to a nice 2nd place and during the CSIU25 GP a fault in the jump-off kept them from a new 2nd place. They therefore had to settle with a 5th place in the ranking.
In the classes of the CSI5* competition, the Luxembourg rider Victor Bettendorf once again delivered some strong performances with his 11-year-old grey gelding Simolo de la Roque Z (Spartacus TN x Casall ASK – B: Alexandrine Hecart – Haras de la Roque), with whom he already won twice the CSI3* GP of Vilamoura earlier this year. Bettendorf and Simolo de la Roque Z immediately became the winners of the 1.45m high opening class on Friday. They managed to keep it clear in both the 1st and the 2nd phase and with a time of 26.48 seconds they had a small lead over the competition. But they also managed to jump into the picture during the second and decisive round of the Global Champions League on Saturday. With a clear round in 70.66 seconds they managed to jump to a 5th place in the individual ranking.
With this performance they did it slightly faster than the Swedish lady rider Evelina Tovek with her 13-year-old gelding Winnetou de la Hamente Z (Winningmood van de Arenberg x Socrate de Chrivre – B: Emmanuel Wera). After a clear round they crossed the finish line in 72.81 seconds, which in turn was good for a 8th place in the ranking.
Earlier in the day, the American lady rider Laura Kraut also placed 8th with the 9-year-old mare Bisquetta Squalls Estate Z (Bisquet Balou van de Mispelaere x Takashi van Berkenbroeck – B: Claire McCarthy-Winters). They remained clear during the first round of the Global Champions League and thus also ensured a top ranking.
Finally, we also saw a few Zangersheide horses in the top of the ranking during the 1.45m high speed class on Friday. There was a 5th place for the French rider Kevin Staut with the 10-year-old mare Beau de Laubry Z (Bisquet Balou van de Mispelaere x Nabab de Rêve – B: Haras De Laubry), a 6th place for the Irish rider Michael Duffy with the 9-year-old mare Surprise (ex Eline de Landetta Z – Emerald van 't Ruytershof x Contender – B: Stoeterij Landetta) and a 7th place for the British rider Samuel Hutton with the 9-year-old mare Melusina BvL Z (Mylord Carthago x Air Jordan Z – B: H.L.M. van Lier).