GP victory for Lily Attwood and Cor-Leon vd Vlierbeek Z

Many international top rankings and places of honor in recent days, but there was also another blue/yellow GP victory last weekend. During the 3rd week of the Champions Tour at the Villamoura Equstrian Center, Portugal, the victory during the CSI2* GP went to the British lady rider Lily Attwood with her 13-year-old gelding Cor-Leon Vd Vlierbeek Z, a son of Calvaro F.C. and Omar who was bred on Belgian soil by Chris Anné and Eva De Meyer. Attwood and Cor-Leon Vd Vlierbeek Z were part of the British team during the Nations Cup final in Barcelona earlier this month and were one of the 16 combinations that were able to qualify for the jump-off during the CSI2* GP in Villamoura. They managed to stop the clock in 37.55 seconds, which gave them a lead of 20 hundredths of a second over the competition.

During the 1.40m class on Saturday, the British lady rider Chloé Aston managed to jump to a top 5 ranking with her 8-year-old mare Diatendra Von Rocherrath Z (Diamant de Semilly x Contendro I), who was bred by Edgar Stoffels. In a jump-off for which 11 combinations were able to qualify, she again delivered a clear round and with a finishing time of 39.91 seconds she secured a 4th place in the rankings.

In this class, the Brazilian rider Luiz Felipe Cortizo Gonçalves De Azevedo Filho also managed to qualify for the jump-off with the 8-year-old chestnut gelding Click Clack Vdc Z, a son of our chestnut stallion Comilfo Plus Z and Indian Gold Van Castershoeve who was bred by Joke Mardaga. Luiz Felipe Cortizo Gonçalves De Azevedo Filho and Click Clack Vdc Z also kept it clear in the jump-off, but they needed 43.89 seconds to reach the finish, which was ultimately good for a 7th place in the rankings. The Belgian rider Constant van Paesschen followed them in 8th place with the 12-year-old stallion Virocondo Z (Va-Vite x Lys De Darmen – F: Britt Vanluyten). He incurred 4 penalty points in the jump-off.

On Friday there was also a 1.40m class on the program in Villamoura and in that class there was a podium place for the Irish rider Cian Harrisson with the 12-year-old chestnut mare Destina Du Mesnil Z, a daughter of Dobel van 't Zorgvliet and Casco who was bred in the Netherlands by A. Geessink. In a class against the clock, Harrisson and Destina Du Mesnil Z kept all the poles in the cups and this performance earned them a 3rd place in the rankings. The Danish lady rider Karen Moeller Rohde finished 9th in this class with the 7-year-old gelding Davos Ask Z (Dakar VDL x U.S. – F: W. de Dalie & R. Vos).

Finally, during the opening day on Thursday, the Austrian rider Benjamin Saurugg was placed with the 9-year-old stallion Alpha'm Z (Arko III x ARD VDL Douglas - F: Gus Mattheussen). During the 1.40m class they managed to keep it clear in both the 1st and the 2nd phase and this performance earned them a 4th place in the rankings.