20 July '24
Didalou Z and Dr Julius Erving H M Z are the winners of day 1!
© Zangersheide
After one could already enjoy the first part of the STX Cycle for young horses on Thursday during the opening day of Z-Festival 2024, the starting shot of the Belgian Zangersheide Foal Championship was fired yesterday at our Stud in Lanaken! Once again it was the youngest foals, or those born between 19 May 2024 and 19 June 2024, who were the first expected to enter the ring and give their best there. They were presented to our expert jury consisting of Frenchman Eric Levallois, German Hans Meyer and Tom Lemmens. They assessed the foals based on five well-known criteria, namely: type, correctness, movement, general impression and dam line. A maximum of 10 points could be obtained for each of these parts/criteria.
Filly foals
From 9 a.m. onwards, it was the fillies who got the start and in this first series a total of 46 foals made their appearance. The filly that managed to impress the jury the most was the chestnut mare Didalou Z, a breeding product of Reumers - Cretskens. Didalou Z is a daughter of the stallion Darry Lou and descends directly from the Emerald van 't Ruytershof mare Emerine Z. She was trained in Belgium under the saddle of Viktor Daem and since the beginning of this year has been a combination with top Swiss rider Steve Guerdat.
Taking the silver during this first series for fillies was the filly Chapsie Z, bred by Hans Schipper and Chris De Heer. Chapsie Z is a daughter of Chacco Blue combined with Kannan and is also a half-sister of Elphie Z (Echo van 't Spieveld), who was sold for 38,000 euro at our Zangersheide Quality Auction last September. Grandam Asie (Corland VDL) herself jumped at the very highest level under the saddle of American rider Andrew Ramsay and we also know her as the dam of GP horses Narazo Z (ex Narazo de Nyze Z - Nelson Z) and Castlefield Hunter (ex C-Hunter de Nyze Z - Cassini II).
The filly Carthina Rising AWN Z, owned by breeder AWN Trade Group BV, then managed to finish 3rd in this first series. Carthina Rising AWN Z is also a daughter of Chacco Blue and is out of the Norton d'Eole mare Lightningthina van 't Ruytershof, a half-sister of Nicola Philippaerts' Grand Prix mare H&M Luna van 't Ruytershof (Levisto Z).
Colts
After the first fillies were judged, from 13.00 it was the turn of the first series of colts, in which no fewer than 75 foals were presented. The foal that managed to impress the most was Dr. Julius Erving H M Z, bred by the Mievis - Huysegoms family. Dr Julius Erving H M Z is a son of Don Diarado and is out of the full sister of the Grand Prix horse Chilli Pepper H M Z (Cornet Obolensky), who can currently be seen under the saddle of American rider Lillie Keenan.
For the colt Zulekha D.J. Z there was a2nd place in this series. Zulekha D.J. Z was bred by Liani Gouws and she combined the blood of Zirocco Blue VDL with that of Clarimo ASK for her breeding product.
Finally, 3rd place went to the colt Memphis DMC Z, a son of Mosito van het Hellehof and Padinus bred by Horsepower DMC. Memhis DMC Z's grandmother is the Burggraaf mare Princess, who in turn is also the dam of the Grand Prix horses Audi's Delta Mossel Upgrader (Heartbreaker) and of his full brother Egano.