Strong performance at Saut Hermès

A week after The Dutch Masters - Indoor Brabant in 's Hertogenbosch, another exclusive five-star competition was also on the programme last weekend with the Saut Hermès competition in the French capital Paris. For three days, Le Grand Palais Éphémère was jumping at the very highest level, where of course some Zangersheide horses managed to stand out.

One of them was the 9-year-old chestnut mare Eytuka Of Two Notes Z, who, under the saddle of Belgian rider Wilm Vermeir, also managed to finish ^3rd in 's Hertogenbosch last week. Vermeir and Eytuka Of Two Notes Z, a daughter of Emerald van 't Ruytershof and Chin Chin from the breeding of Toby Huys, already started their competition in Paris with a ^5th place in the 1.45m class on Friday, but kept the best for yesterday during the final day where they became the winners of the 1.50m class. In both the^1st and^2nd stages, Vermeir and Eytuka Of Two Notes Z managed to provide a flawless performance and with a finishing time of 38.58 seconds, they were more than a full second ahead of the competition.

Another winner in this 1.50m class was Belgian rider Gudrun Patteet and her also 9-year-old mare Sea Coast Chica V.V. Z, a breeding product of Evelyne and Colin Van Vreckom who combined the blood of Comme Il Faut with that of Chacco Blue. Patteet and Sea Coast Chica V.V. Z also came out strong in 's Hertogenbosch last week and in Paris they confirmed that good form with a ^6th place in the 1.50m class on Saturday and a ^4th place in yesterday's 1.50m class.

Yesterday afternoon's Grand Prix Hermès was, of course, the absolute highlight of the weekend, in which German rider Kendra Claricia Brinkop and the 9-year-old stallion Tabasco de Toxandria Z, a son of Thunder van de Zuuthoeve and Cento Lano from the breeding farm of Werner Dierckx, were in the lead. After a faultless basic round, Brinkop and Tabasco de Toxandria Z were one of the nine combinations that managed to qualify for the jump-off, in which they managed to finish a fine ^4th place after another flawless round.

Another notable combination in Paris was French rider Kevin Staut with the 14-year-old grey mare Cloe GP Z, a daughter of Corrdino CH and Takashi van Berkenbroeck bred by Juan Carlos Hernandez, who until the end of last year could be seen under the saddle of Belgian rider Cyril Cools. Meanwhile, Staut and Cloe GP Z seem to be completely in tune with each other and during both the 1.45m class on Friday and the 1.50m on Saturday they were good for ^3rd place in the standings.

The CSI5* competition received the most attention in Paris over the past few days, but there was also a CSIU25 competition, in which some Zangersheide horses came strongly forward. Thus, British rider Jennifer Billington managed to jump into the picture three days in a row with the 13-year-old gelding Flipper Darco UK Z, a son of Flipper d'Elle and Darco bred in Great Britain by Stud UK Euro/Shelvin Farm.

After Billington and Flipper Darco UK Z already started their competition on Friday with a ^9th place in the 1.40m opening class, they managed to jump to a top ranking in the CSIU25 GP on Saturday. In a jump-off for which 8 combinations managed to qualify, they again kept it clear and thus secured ^4th place in the standings. Yesterday during the final day it was then looking forward to the team jumping for the CSIU25 competition and in that, too, Billington and Flipper Darco UK Z confirmed once again. In both^{the 1st} and^2nd rounds, they kept all the balls in the scoops and this earned them^2nd place in the individual standings.