Eldorado Sunheup Z triumphs in the CSI2* GP of Royan

While it was British rider Samuel Hutton and his 10-year-old mare Melusina BVL Z who won the Grand Prix in Wuustwezel last Sunday, the CSI2* GP at the Centre équestre de Royan in France also saw a Zangersheide horse top the leaderboard. Indeed, it was French rider Nicolas Deseuzes who claimed victory there after an exciting jump-off with his 10-year-old stallion Eldorado Sunheup Z, a son of Eldorado van de Zeshoek TN and Quartz du Chanu bred in France by Carine Groualle of Elevage Sunheup.

Deseuzes and Eldorado Sunheup Z also managed to finish ^7th in the 1.45m Longines Ranking Test on Friday and were one of 11 combinations to advance to the jump-off in the CSI2* GP on Sunday afternoon. In it, they once again managed to ensure a flawless round and with a finishing time of 37.93 seconds, they were about a quarter of a second faster than the competition.

Besides Nicolas Deseuzes and his Eldorado Sunheup Z's victory, however, we also got a second Zangersheide horse on the podium at this CSI2* GP. Indeed, ^3rd place was reserved for Deseuzes' compatriot Jérôme Gachignard and the 13-year-old grey gelding Cissro van Birthe Z, a son of Cicero Z and Tauber van het Kapelhof bred by Werner Goossens. Gachignard and Cissro van Birthe Z also provided a clear round of the barrage, but it took them 38.43 seconds to reach the finishing line.

Another notable combination in Royan was Luxembourg rider Victor Bettendorf and his 12-year-old grey gelding Simolo de la Roque Z, the son of Spartacus TN and Casall ASK from the breeding farm of Alexandrine Hecart and whom Bettendorf has already managed to jump an impressive record in recent years. Bettendorf and Simolo de la Roque Z were immediately good for ^5th place in the 1.40m class on Thursday during the opening day, and a day later they secured^2nd place in the Longines Ranking class.

Then in the 1.40m class on Saturday, French rider Antoine Ermann managed to secure another podium place with the 8-year-old stallion Delirium Zoetendaele Z, a son of Diamant de Semilly and Der Senaat 111 Z bred in Belgium by Carine and Arnold Lootens. During both the^1st and^2nd phases, all the bars stayed neatly in the reels and this performance earned them^2nd place in the standings. For Jérôme Gachignard there was also a ^4th place in this class with the 8-year-old stallion Marshall 313 Z (Mosito van het Hellehof x Concorde) from the breeding farm of Wilm Vermeir and Karolien Bongaerts.