Radiant Autumn Sun During Zangersheide Under-Saddle Stallion Selection

After the successful stallion selection for three-year-old stallions, the annual stallion selection under saddle for four-year-old and older stallions took place last Saturday at the Zangersheide domain. Under a radiant autumn sun, 11 stallions presented themselves to the Z-Stallion Selection Committee, consisting of Eric Levallois, Stijn van Campenhout and Tim Rieskamp-Goedeking.

Traditionally, the stallions were first assessed in hand, with their conformation and movement closely scrutinised. The stallions then showed their qualities under saddle during the jumping of a standard course. Of the 11 stallions offered, seven managed to convince the judges and thus received a stud certificate for the Zangersheide studbook.

Five of the seven stallions have an age of four years and one of them was the chestnut stallion Dancing Star de Rock 1 Z, a breeding product of Paul Lavers who combined the blood of Dieu Merci Van T&L Z with that of Dominator 2000 Z. "Dancing Star de Rock 1 Z is a light and youthful horse with sufficient size and actually combines the best of both," said Stijn van Campenhout. "After a neat display on the hard ground, he showed great talent in jumping. He combines natural suppleness with a controlled technique and an even jump. Furthermore, he also stood out for his rideability: good canter, fine mouth and a lot of balance in his movements. In short, really a horse that everyone would like to have today."

One of the other four-year-olds approved was the black stallion Emir Vinio MB Z, a son of Emerald van 't Ruytershof out of the Kannan mare Jelvinia MB, who is currently performing at Grand Prix level with Canadian rider Amy Millar. "Emir Vinio MB Z is a youthful and correct horse with a modern appearance, exactly what you expect from a four-year-old," Stijn van Campenhout explained about the Highfield Genetics breeding product. "He showed correct and natural movement on the hard ground and showed a lot of quality on the jump. He has good balance and that came out every jump. This is a stallion you already expect to take his place in the higher sport."

Emir Vinio MB Z was not the only son of Emerald van 't Ruytershof, however, as his age-mate Pasadena J also managed to impress the judges. Bred in the Netherlands by A. De Jong, Pasadena J combines the blood of Emerald van 't Ruytershof with that of Nabab de Rêve. "Pasadena J immediately caught our eye because of his exceptionally beautiful appearance," Stijn says. "This stallion showed very nicely on the hard ground, especially through his correct trot. He is a light and athletic horse that you then start to like even more when he starts to jump effectively. There he showed great technique and body use, jumping particularly well through the withers. Furthermore, with Pasadena J it was also really striking that he made all the jumps in the same controlled way. That gives confidence and shows consistency."

Also approved was the four-year-old stallion Porsche BH, a son of L'Extreme BH and Arko III, who was bred by and is owned by Stud Black Horses. Porsche BH's dam is a granddaughter of the mare Intradella Z, the daughter of Interadel Z who jumped at the very highest level with Dutch rider Johnny Pals. "Porsche BH was the most impressive appearance in terms of stallion type and sire. He showed strongly on the hard ground, with his correct conformation and expressive movement immediately standing out. Although he is probably going to be a bit of a late bloomer, he has all the potential to grow into a good jumper."

Last in the line-up of four-year-olds was the stallion Cartier C, a half-brother of the grey stallion Burcess C who jumped at 1.60m level with Australian rider Julia Lynch. Cartier C is a son of Cicero Z and Heartbreaker and was bred by Cria De Caballos Deporte SI, who is also the owner. "Cartier C is a stallion who completely follows the line of his sire Cicero Z in terms of power and appearance. On hard ground, he tends a little towards the more classical type of stallion, but at the same time he has a lot of expression. As soon as he starts jumping, he perfectly combines the scope and technique of Cicero Z with the light-footedness of Heartbreaker. He thus combines the best of the two and is definitely a horse whose further evolution will be fascinating to follow."

In addition to the five four-year-old stallions, two older stallions were also approved for stud. One of them was the five-year-old stallion Titan JVH, with the letters JVH referring to breeder and owner Jan Vermeiren Horses. Titan JVH is a son of Olympus A.P. and Cornet Obolensky and a half-brother of the stallion Dubolensky (ARD VDL Douglas), currently jumping at 1.50m level with Irish rider Brian Murphy. "Titan JVH impressed at the inspection as an athletic stallion with a beautiful, athletic model. On the hard ground, he stood out with his correct movements and a look reminiscent of his grandsire Cornet Obolensky. He also jumped with a nice front leg technique, showed great balance and excellent rideability. His easy, powerful jump makes him a promising candidate for the higher sport."

Finally, the six-year-old stallion Neymar B was also approved. Neymar B, a son of Comme Il Faut and Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve, comes from the Breukink family's breeding and is now owned by Juan Ramos of SARL Artic Partners. The stallion has already proven himself in the international classes for six-year-old horses, where he is ridden by Italian rider Andrea Marchese. "Neymar B is a horse that seriously impressed everyone. He combines an excellent canter with the typical technique of his sire Comme Il Faut. This is a horse with enormous promise for the future, and we wouldn't be surprised to see him one day shine at the highest level in the sport."