I-Cap CL Z triumphs in the CSI4* GP of Saugerties

There was a lot of international action in the United States over the past few days, which included a four-star competition at HITS Hudson Valley in Saugerties. The highlight of the week there was the $250,000 Core Specialty Insurance CSI4* Grand Prix on Saturday afternoon and with two Zangersheide horses on the podium, it was particularly successful for our blue and yellow colours.

With a resounding victory, the main star was undoubtedly British rider Jessica Mendoza and her 12-year-old gelding I-Cap CL Z, the son of I'm Special de Muze and Air Jordan Z who was bred by Alexander Liefsoens and with whom Mendoza has now been a trusted combination for several years. Mendoza and I-Cap CL Z came into the basic round as the penultimate combination to start and were one of only three combinations to succeed in the basic round ridden by German track builder Olaf Peterson Jr. and his team. In the jump-off, they had the luxury of being the very last combination to re-enter the ring and they then also managed to keep their cool. Once again, all bars stayed neatly in the scoops and with a finishing time of 39.86 seconds, they were more than a full second ahead of the competition!

Jessica Mendoza: "I had the ideal position in this jump-off to appear in the ring again (laughs). I-Cap CL Z is a particularly fast horse, so I knew I could make up for it in the corners. I played it a little safer until the last obstacle, but I felt I had done everything I could until that point. I-Cap CL Z is my pride and joy. I have had him since he was four years old so I know him inside and out. I know that if I turn very short and make a jump, he won't knock him over. He is the horse of my life for me in the sense that we also have such a strong emotional bond. He is like a best friend and always gives everything for me."

However, I-Cap CL Z was not the only Z horse that managed to shine at this CSI4* GP, as we also saw blue/yellow blood on the ^3rd podium. This was provided by Mendoza's compatriot Samuel Hutton with the 10-year-old mare Melusina BVL Z, a daughter of Mylord Carthago and Air Jordan Z bred in the Netherlands by H.L.M. van Lier. Hutton and Melusina BVL Z, also previously good for ^9th place in the 1.50m class on Thursday, also provided a clear jump-off, but it took them 42.20 seconds to complete their round.

Samuel Hutton: "Melusina BVL Z is naturally quite fast, but I still had to ride well in the basic round to be within time. The straights were quite high and there were a few tricky combinations, so I was very happy with how she did. This is my first time here and I'm very happy we came here."

But also the days before, several Zangersheide horses managed to put their best foot forward and jump into the prizes once or several times. One of those horses was the 10-year-old chestnut gelding Kochio Z, a son of Kannan and Diamant de Semilly from the breeding farm of Jolien Van Turnhout. Kochio Z is one of American rider Jimmy Torano's horses and together they managed to secure two top placings over the past few days. After the duo already started their show on Wednesday with a ^6th place in the 1.45m class, they achieved a great ^3rd place in the 1.45m class on Friday with 'Winning Round'.

There was also a podium place for Israeli rider Daniel Bluman and the 10-year-old gelding Hummer Z, a son of Harley VDL and Hemmingway bred by P.H.A.E. Bocken. During the 1.50m main class on Thursday, Bluman and Hummer Z kept nicely clear in both the basic round and the jump-off, finishing in ^3rd place.