Grand Prix victory for Cheston de la Pomme d'Or Z in Valkenswaard!

In the Longines Global Champions Tour, the 13th leg of the season was held last weekend and this took place at the Longines Tops International Arena in Valkenswaard, the homeplace of organizer Jan Tops and his partner Edwina Tops Alexander. Next to the famous CSI5* competition, there was also a CSI2* competition in Valkenswaard and during the CSI2* GP on Sunday afternoon, the victory was reserved for the Turkish rider Omer Karaevli and the 13-year-old grey gelding Cheston de la Pomme d'Or Z, a son of Chippendale Z and Contendro II who was bred by Patrick Huyse. Karaevli and Cheston de la Pomme d'Or Z were one of the 13 combinations that remained clear in the basic round and so qualified for the jump-off. They re-entered the ring as the 9th combination and with a clear jump-off in 36.28 seconds they wrote this CSI2* GP on their list of honors!

But also during the CSI5* competition we got some blue/yellow victories and one of those victories was secured by the French rider Simon Delestre with his 10-year-old gelding Dexter Fontenis Z, the son of Diarado and Voltaire who was bred by S.C.R.I S.Ky Horses and with whom Delestre already achieved many strong performances this year. During the opening day on Friday, Delestre and Dexter Fontenis Z became the winners of the first round of the Global Champions League, where they had more than half a second ahead of the competition with a clear round in 64.03 seconds.

During the final day on Sunday, the American lady rider Paris Sellon jumped to a victory with her 11-year-old mare Attoucha Hero Z, a daughter of our chestnut stallion Aganix du Seigneur Z and Diamant de Semilly, who was bred by Gerry Marron and Luc Henry. During the 1.45m high speed class they rushed to the finishline in 62.96 seconds and with that they also had more than half a second ahead of the competition.

Also on Sunday there was a CSI5* 1.50m class in which we saw 2 Zangersheide horses in the top 5 of the ranking. There was a 4th place for the Portuguese rider Rodrigo Giesteira Almeida with the 12-year-old mare Pegasus Deau Re Mi T&L Z (Deauville de la Vie x Corofino I – B: NV T&L) and a 5th place for the French rider Kevin Staut with the 10-year-old mare Beau de Laubry Z (Bisquet Balou van de Mispelaere x Nabab de Rêve – B: Haras De Laubry). Both managed to keep all the poles in the cups in both the basic round and the jump-off.

In the second round of the Global Champions League on Friday, the Irish rider Richard Howley secured a podium finish with the 12-year-old gelding Consulent de Prelet Z (Consulent x Fuego du Prelet – F: Svo Trans Feka), with whom he won already a class earlier this month during the Dublin Horse Show. During this course over a height of 1.60m, Howley and Consulent de Prelet Z performed flawlessly and this was good for a 3rd place in the ranking. For the Swedish lady rider Evelina Tovek there was a 6th place and this with her 13-year-old gelding Winnetou de la Hamente Z (Winningmood van de Arenberg x Socrate de Chivre – B: Emmanuel Wera).

During the classes of the CSI2* competition, both the British rider Samuel Hutton with the 9-year-old mare Melusina BVL Z (Mylord Carthago x Air Jordan Z – B: H.L.M. van Lier) and the Dutch lady rider Sanne Thijssen with the 11-year-old mare Tippy Z (Tyson x Jetset-D – F: E. Ickenroth & T.H. Emans) were placed twice. Hutton and Melusina BVL Z placed 8th on Saturday in the 1.45m class and on Sunday 7th in the CSI2* GP, while Thijssen and Tippy Z placed 6th on Friday and 8th in the CSI2* GP.

Finally, during the CSI2* 1.40m class on Friday, there was a 2nd place for the Dutch rider Niels Tacken with the 8-mare Camilla Totalis Z (Cavalo Z x T'Is Voltaire - F: Fam Ubachs).