Koen Vereecke wins the last GP qualifier!

Next to the denouement of our Zangersheide stallion approval, there was of course also a lot of international sport on the program during this 4th day of The Zangersheide international. The day ended tonight with the third and final Qualifier for the CSI4* GP of tomorrow afternoon and we got a Belgian rider at the top of the ranking. It was Koen Vereecke who became the winner with the 13-year-old gelding Arioso du bois (Rock'n Roll Semilly x Qredo de Paulstra). Vereecke, who also finished 3rd yesterday during the Open Stallion Competition, rushed in this speed class to the finish line in 61.37 seconds and so secured the victory!

The British lady rider Georgia Tame took 2nd place in this class with her 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding Curiano Van Maarle Z, a son of Canabis Z and Germus R who was bred by Corneel Verhaeren. Tame and Curiano Van Maarle Z appeared at the start as the 9th combination and managed to stop the clock in 61.80 seconds. The 3rd place was reserved for the Turkish rider Omer Karaevli with his also 12-year-old gelding Livingstone van het Peggershof (Ogano Sitte x Thunder van de Zuuthoeve). He managed to ensure a clear round in a time of 62.32 seconds.

Charlotte Philippe vs Brecht Goossens

Before the start of this last GP Qualifier, there was also a 1.35m class on the program for the CSI4* competition, in which the Belgian duo Charlotte Philippe and Brecht Goossens managed to share the victory. Both Charlotte Philippe with the 9-year-old grey gelding Electro Vd Kromsteeg Z (Emerald van 't Ruytershof x Der Senaat 111) and Brecht Goossens with the 14-year-old gelding Noukie Z (Nabab de Rêve x Chin Chin) knew to stop the clock in the 2nd phase in 25.61 seconds and so they could both write this class on their list of honors.

They were joined on the podium by the Swiss rider Pius Schwizer. In the saddle of the 8-year-old stallion Farenheit de Beaufour (Diamant de Semilly x Cassini I – F: Eric Levallois) he managed to keep it clear in a time of 25.92 seconds.

Pius Schwizer

Less than an hour earlier, the same Pius Schwizer won the 1.30m class of the CSI1* competition. In the saddle of the also 8-year-old mare Pinky Pie de Liversart (Taalex x Voltaire), he finished in the 2nd phase in 22.29 seconds, which put him almost 2 full seconds ahead of the competition.

For the Japanese rider Mike Kawai there was a 2nd place in this class. He counted on the 14-year-old mare Star (Singulord Joter x Caretino) and managed to stop the clock in 24.22 seconds. The Belgian lady rider Pascale Haep completed the podium in 3rd place. She finished with her 8-year-old mare Darling des Bruyeres (Diamant de Semilly x Narcos II) in 24.52 seconds.

Second time Karline de Brabander-Vereecke

The fourth day of The Zangersheide International started this morning with the CSI1* 1.20 class and victory went, just like Thursday, to the Belgian lady rider Karline de Brabander-Vereecke with her 12-year-old stallion Lector Vd Bisschop (Bamako de Muze x For Pleasure). In a class against the clock, she crossed the finish line in 57.71 seconds and with that performance she beated the competition again.

The German lady rider Stephanie Böhe with the 7-year-old mare Stitches (Stakkato Gold x Larenco D.D.H.) and the Estonian rider Andreas Lootus with the 11-year-old gelding Daybreak (Dayton P x Great Pleasure) follow in 2nd and 3rd place.