21 May '24
Beauville Z N.O.P. shines in the LGCT Grand Prix of Madrid
© Longines Global Champions Tour
After previous stages in Doha, Miami, Mexico City and Shanghai, the Longines Global Champions Tour began its European leg last weekend with a stage in the Spanish capital Madrid. One of the combinations competing there was Dutch rider Maikel van der Vleuten and his 14-year-old gelding Beauville Z N.O.P., the 14-year-old son of Bustique and Jumpy des Fontaines bred in the Netherlands by Pascal Habets. Van der Vleuten and Beauville Z N.O.P. already managed to amass an impressive record in the past few years and last weekend the successful duo once again played a leading role. During the LGCT Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon, they were one of the eight combinations that made it through the basic round unscathed, thus qualifying for the jump-off. As the 5th combination to start, van der Vleuten and Beauville Z N.O.P. once again managed to keep all the rails in the scoops and with a finishing time of 46.78 seconds they only had to surpass the German Christian Kukuk (Checker 47).
Also among the barrages was Chilean rider Rodrigo Carrasco with his 12-year-old gelding Crescendo MB Z, a son of Clinton and Jodokus bred in the Netherlands by M. Bokdam. Carrasco and Crescendo MB Z, also good for an individual 7th place at the first round of the Global Champions League on Friday, eventually secured 8th place in the standings at this 5th LGCT Grand Prix of the season.
In the 1.50m class on Saturday evening, Belgian rider Pieter Devos then managed to jump into the limelight with his 9-year-old homebred mare Casual DV Z, the daughter of Cornet Obolensky and Cicero Z with whom he participated in the Longines World Cup Final in Riyadh just last month. In a jump-off for which 12 combinations managed to qualify, Devos and Casual DV Z once again managed to stay clear and this result earned them a 4th place in the standings. Earlier on Saturday, there was also a 4th place for Egyptian rider Mouda Zeyada with the 11-year-old gelding Imagination Z, a son of Inshallah de Muze and Indoctro from the stud farm of Stoeterij Aldenbergh. Zeyada and Imagination Z achieved this 4th place in the 1.45m class after keeping clear in both the1st and2nd phases.