Gem Vd Riloo Z and Dirina O.H. Z win Longines Ranking tests in Lier

The second week of the Springtour 2024 at the Azelhof in Lier last week showed again some top rankings for the Zangersheide horses that competed there. Besides the CSI2* GP on Sunday, there were two other 1.45m high Longines Ranking classes on the programme and both on Friday and Saturday we got a Zangersheide horse at the top of the rankings.

On Friday, that honour went to Dutch rider Siebe Leemans and the 9-year-old grey stallion Gem Vd Riloo Z, a son of Gemini XX and Concorde bred by J.H. Van Loon Eugeen and approved by Studbook Zangersheide. Leemans and Gem Vd Riloo Z had already started their competition with a clear round in the 1.40m class on Thursday and were one of the 21 combinations to secure a place in the jump-off in this Longines Ranking class. In it, they once again managed to repeat that flawless performance from the basic round and with a time of 43.08 seconds, they were more than half a second ahead of the competition.

But^2nd place in this class was also taken by a Zangersheide horse and that was provided by Belgian rider Evelyne Putters with the 13-year-old grey gelding Nabeau van het Migroveld Z, a breeding product of William De Winne who combined the blood of Nabab de Rêve with that of Taran de la Pomme. Putters and Nabeau van het Migroveld Z also provided a clear jump-off, reaching the finishing line in 43.76 seconds.

On Saturday, the Longines Ranking Test was a class against the clock and in it it was Belgian rider Wilm Vermeir who jumped to victory with the 10-year-old mare Dirina O.H. Z, a daughter of Dicasi O.H. and Clarimo ASK bred by Guido Op 't Eynde. They sped to the finish in 65.77 seconds, putting them over a quarter of a second ahead of the competition.

Finally, last weekend there was also a podium place for Dutch rider Kevin Jochems with the 9-year-old mare Looks Good de Liebri Z, a daughter of Lector Vd Bisschop and Bentley Vd Heffinck from the breeding farm of De Liebri BVBA. During the 1.40m class on Thursday, they kept all the bars in the reels and this performance earned them ^3rd place in the standings. In the 1.40m class on Sunday, Jochems and Looks Good de Liebri Z confirmed this good performance with ^8th place.