Marriet Smit-Hoekstra and King Kashmir TN triumph among the 7-year-old stallions

After the stallion classes for the 5- and 6-year-olds, the afternoon programme of the third day of 'The Zangersheide International' ended this evening with a spirited class for the 7-year-old stallions. It was a 1.35m class with jump-off, in which 14 combinations took their chances and no fewer than 11 of them managed to secure a place for the decisive jump-off.

In that jump-off, victory once again eventually went to the Netherlands thanks to rider Marriet Smit-Hoekstra and the grey stallion King Kashmir TN, a son of Kashmir Van Schuttershof and Mylord Carthago bred by Paul Scheuerer. Smit Hoekstra and King Kashmir TN reappeared in that decisive jump-off as the fifth combination in the ring and again they managed to keep all the bars neatly in the scoops. They crossed the finish line in 37.40 seconds, adding this final class for young stallions to their record of achievements.

Marriet Smit-Hoekstra and King Kashmir TN thus edged Swedish rider Jonna Ekberg and the grey Super Trouper Vd Bisschop into^second place in the standings with their strong round. Ekberg and Super Trouper Vd Bisschop, a son of Chaccoon Blue and Chin Chin from the breeding farm of Tom De Craene, were the first in the jump-off and they did so with a clear round in 37.89 seconds.

^3rd place went to Belgian rider Niels Bruynseels and the stallion Vintage, a son of Vagabond de la Pomme and Numero Uno bred in Germany by Böckmann Pferde. They crossed the finish line in 40.84 seconds after a clear round, thus completing the podium.