13 February '24
Kannavara Z triumphs in the CSI2* GP of Oliva
© Hervé Bonnaud
Besides the second week of the Moura Tours in Valencia, last week on Spanish soil also saw the start of a new showjumping tour at the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour of Oliva. The CSI2* GP on Sunday resulted in a victory for Belgian rider Constant van Paesschen with the 10-year-old mare Kannavara Z, a daughter of Kannan and Contender bred by Dave Blyau. Van Paesschen and Kannavara Z also won a class in Oliva last month and were one of 10 combinations to qualify for the jump-off on Sunday. In it, they had the luxury of being the very last combination to start again and with a clear round in 40.66 seconds they managed to outclass the competition again.
Constant van Paesschen: "Kannavara came to me at the end of last year. In the beginning we had some trouble getting to know each other, it wasn't as easy as I thought. Now I feel she understands me completely, and is with me. I knew Kannavara is fast and in the end I think the jump-off just suited me today. Maybe my luck was that the first line was a bit short for most and for me it was basically just riding. Furthermore, I don't lose any time because Kannavara is fast on the ground. She jumped even better in the second round than in the first."
Furthermore, French rider Guillaume Foutrier also managed to jump to a top 5 ranking with the 9-year-old gelding Top of the Bill 89 Z, a son of Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve and Andiamo from the breeding farm of Nick Verlies. Foutrier and Top of the Bill 89 Z were also good for a 6th place at the 1.45m GP Qualifier on Thursday and managed a 5th place at the CSI2* GP. Italian rider Angelica Canonici and the 11-year-old gelding Vertigo Z (Vigo d'Arsouilles x Kannan - B: Tops Horse Trading BV) followed a little further down the leaderboard in 8th place.
On Sunday as well, the CSI2* competition had the Gold 1.40m class on the programme and in it, Italian rider Riccardo Pisani managed to jump to a top ranking with Johan Thijs' breeding product Charlemagne JT Z, the 14-year-old grey gelding by Cachas and Carthago Z. In both the 1st and 2nd phases, Pisani and Charlemagne JT Z managed to keep nicely clear and this performance earned them a 4th place in the standings.
On Saturday there was a blue/yellow victory in Oliva and this was achieved by young Belgian rider Jules Denutte with the 8-year-old mare Gaviotta Pommex Z, a breeding product of Geert Baertsoen who combined the blood of Gangster de Longchamps with that of Kannan. In the Gold 1.35m class, Denutte and Gaviotta Pommex Z sped to the finish in 60.22 seconds, giving them a slight edge over the competition.
Finally, there was also a podium place for Belgian Juniors Champion Mathieu Guery with his top 10-year-old mare Tender Dream Hero Z, a daughter of Thunder van de Zuuthoeve and Carthago Z from breeder Luc Henry. During the Gold 1.40m class on Thursday, Guery and Tender Dream Hero Z kept clear in both 1st and 2nd phases and this earned them 2nd place in the standings.
Translated by Deeple.com