Halima van het Bonte Hof Z on the GP podium in ST. Tropez

In France, the new season at the Hubside Jumping of Grimaud started last weekend. The opening week immediately resulted in blue/yellow success with one of the Zangersheide horses on the podium during the CSI2* GP. The 2nd place went to the Belgian rider Andres Vereecke with the 10-year-old chestnut mare Halima van het Bonte Hof Z, a daughter of Hos d'O and Heartbreaker who was bred by Leen Braeckmans. Vereecke and Halima van het Bonte Hof Z had became already 12th on Friday during the 1.40m class and were one of the 8 combinations that managed to jump to a place in the jump-off during the CSI2* GP. As the penultimate starter, they again managed to ensure a clear round and with a finish time of 38.09 seconds they only had to tolerate the Luxembourg rider Victor Bettendorf ahead of them.

Another combination that jumped into the picture was Vereecke's compatriot Anthony Wellens with his 11-year-old chestnut stallion Danger Civil vh Lindenhof Z (Diamant de Semilly x Silvio I – B: Jean Pierre Bosch). The duo secured a 9th place on Friday during the 1.40m class and a day later a nice 5th place followed during the 1.45m high Longines Ranking class.

During the opening day on Thursday, Benny Naessens managed to ensure a top ranking with the 9-year-old mare Kannavara Z (Kannan x Contender – B: Dave Blyau). During the 1.40m class they managed to keep clear in both the 1st and the 2nd phase and this performance earned them a 2nd place in the ranking. Andres' father Koen Vereecke placed 8th in this class with the 9-year-old chestnut stallion Balouto Van Paemel Z (Baloubet du Rouet x Colman – B: Stoeterij Van Paemel).