Frank Schuttert leads integral Dutch podium in CSI4* Grand Prix

The Zangersheide International 2025 is over! For five days, the Sentower Park in Opglabbeek once again hosted a unique mix of absolute top sport and breeding. Riders, breeders and many a horse lover came together for an event full of passion and spectacle. On the closing day, this afternoon's CSI4* Grand Prix was, of course, the focal point, in which the numerous spectators who had turned up were once again treated to a breathtaking denouement

A total of 49 combinations had managed to qualify for this 1.55m high final round, for which British arena builder Rafael Suarez and his team had once again set out a beautiful course. Jumping faults happened everywhere and in the end only 8 combinations managed to finish the first round successfully. In that decisive jump-off, it was again the Dutch combinations who managed to dominate with Frank Schuttert at the very top of the leaderboard! He had saddled the 12-year-old mare Isis (Cardento VDL x Lupicor) for this CSI4* Grand Prix and produced a dazzling round of the jump-off. As the fourth combination at the start, Schuttert and Isis did not ride an inch too fast and with a finishing time of 34.61 seconds they once again made the national anthem reverberate through Sentower Park!

But the other podium places also went to the Netherlands with in^2nd place Harrie Smolders and the 10-year-old gelding Kaspar R (Eldorado van de Zeshoek x Baloubet du Rouet). Smolders and Kaspar R just appeared Schuttert and Isis in the ring and also threw everything into the fight to write this Grand Prix on their record. However, they crossed the finish line in 34.79 seconds, ultimately falling 18 hundredths of a second short of knocking Schuttert off the throne. For Willem Greve there was a ^3rd place at the CSI4* Grand Prix, just like at the 2024 edition. Greve appeared as the very last combination to start with the 9-year-old stallion Laretto (Adagio de Talma x Indoctro) and with a clear round in 36.03 seconds they completed the integral Dutch podium.

The CSI4* Grand Prix may have been the absolute highlight during this final day of 'The Zangersheide International', but earlier in the day there was also a second Grand Prix on the programme with that of the CSI1* competition. In this too we could enjoy an exciting run, with 18 combinations qualifying for the jump-off after a clear first round. In it, it was the young Dutchman Joep Schaap who unleashed his devils and took victory. Riding the 12-year-old mare Cadeauminka (Kannan x Jodokus), he raced to the finishing line in 34.59 seconds in that decisive jump-off, putting him more than half a second ahead of the rest of the field of competitors.

For the riders of the four-star competition, this final day was of course mainly looking forward to this afternoon's Grand Prix, but this morning they were also in action in a 1.45m class. Victory in this was for Cypriot rider Alexa Stais and the 11-year-old grey mare Coleccini (Colestus x Chin Chin). Stais, who was still going strong on Friday with a ^5th place at the Open Sires of the World, rushed to the finish line in 31.78 seconds in the^2nd phase, keeping the competition at bay.