Casual DV Z and Romeo 88 shine in Rotterdam

With the famous CHIO of Rotterdam last weekend, we were ready for the third and final leg of the Longines League of Nations, the revamped Nations Cup in which the world's best 10 countries compete against each other and compete for a spot at the grand final in Barcelona later this year. This battle of the nations, which traditionally takes place on Friday in the Dutch port city, was another successful edition for our blue and yellow colours this year, with two Zangersheide horses managing to ensure a double clear round.

One of the combinations that managed to do so was Belgian rider Pieter Devos and his 9-year-old homebred mare Casual DV Z, a daughter of Cornet Obolensky out of the Cicero Z mare Just Me D. Devos and Casual DV Z were also twice clear at the Nations Cup in Rome at the end of last month and continued that line in Rotterdam last weekend. Once again, the successful duo managed to achieve two clear rounds, thus demonstrating their excellent form of the past few weeks.

However, besides Pieter Devos and Casual DV Z, British rider Harry Charles also managed to ensure two clear rounds with his 15-year-old stallion Romeo 88, the son of PKZ Contact van de Heffinck and Orlando who was born Champion of Picobello Z with the Ruant family of Picobello Horses. Charles and Romeo 88 impressed and had an important share in the British team's ^3rd place with their double clear round.

The five-star competition with the Longines League of Nations naturally received the most attention over the past few days, but in addition a two-star competition also took place in Rotterdam, in which some Zangersheide horses performed particularly well. The absolute star was Belgium's Evelyne Putters with her 13-year-old grey gelding Nabeau van het Migroveld Z, a son of Nabab de Rêve and Taran de la Pomme bred by William De Winne. Putters and Nabeau van het Migroveld Z were good for ^9th place in a 1.40m class on both Friday and Saturday, but held their own in the CSI2* GP on Sunday afternoon. Indeed, as the very last combination at the start, they were the only ones to manage to get through the basic round clear, impressively writing this CSI2* GP on their palmares.

Evelyne Putters: "When I ran the course, I already thought it was a tough round, but I didn't expect to be the only one clear. What was difficult? Many combinations immediately had the first off, the line to the double jump and also the last line proved difficult. We bought this horse as a four-year-old and my trainer rode him until he was eight. Then he stayed with Niels Bruynzeels for a while and I have been riding him for two years now. Among other things, I have ridden the European Championships for Juniors and now I ride two and three-star classes. Last year I rode here in Rotterdam for the first time. My mother used to come here as a young girl and she thought it would be super fun if I rode here. It went really well this year and so I hope I can be there again next year."

Another notable combination in the CSI2* competition was Dutch rider Joy Lammers and the 9-year-old grey mare Amazing Z, a daughter of Ambler Gambler and Cartano bred in the Netherlands by Van De Wetering and Thijssen Stables. Lammers and Amazing Z immediately started their show in Rotterdam with a resounding victory in the 1.40m class on Friday and on the final day on Sunday they made themselves heard again with a ^4th place in the 1.35m class. During that 1.40m class on Thursday, in addition to Lammers' victory with Amazing Z, there was also a ^3rd place for American rider Alexandra Crown and the 11-year-old mare Dorothy DH Z (Donckervoort DH x Va Vite - B: De Dwerse Hagen BVBA).