Valentino V Z triumphs in the CSI2* GP of Brussels!

Last weekend, the grounds of Stephan Conter in Wolvertem formed the backdrop for the 9th edition of the Brussels Stephex Masters, an exclusive five-star show to which a Nations Cup was added this year. Besides that CSIO5* competition there were of course also some other competitions on the program and during the CSI2* competition we got a blue/yellow victory during the GP on Saturday afternoon. It was the American lady rider Maria Costa who jumped to the victory with the 14-year-old gelding Valentino V Z, a son of Verdi TN and Converter who was bred by Antoine and Stefaan Vermeire. Costa and Valentino V Z already started their show on Wednesday with a 10th place in the 1.40m class and were one of the 10 combinations that managed to qualify for the jump-off during the CSI2* GP. They again managed to deliver a flawless performance and with a finish time of 38.96 seconds they were 13 hundredths of a second faster than the competition.

Maria Costa: “I have a very special bond with Valentino and I think that really paid off today. I’ve had him since he was 7. He is 14 now and we’ve been through a lot together. He underwent surgery at the end of last year and although we were very hopeful he would come back, there’s always uncertainties. That makes this win so special to me.”

Who also managed to qualify for the jump-off during this CSI2* GP was the Liechtenstein lady rider Jennifer Hochstadter with the 12-year-old gelding Tinka's Hero Z, a son of Tinka's Boy and Caretino who was bred by Vincent Jourdan and Luc Henry and who won a CSI5* class under the saddle of the French rider Simon Delestre during the edition of 2022. Hochstadter and Tinka's Hero Z had to deal with 4 penalty points in their jump-off and this performance earned them a 6th place in the ranking, just like during the 1.40m class on Wednesday. During the 1.40m class on Friday they also managed to secure a 7th place in the ranking.

Another combination that managed to jump into the picture during this CSI2* competition was Belgian Junior Champion Mathieu Guery with the 9-year-old gelding Tender Dream Hero Z, a son of Thunder van de Zuuthoeve and Carthago Z who was bred by Luc Henry. Guery and Tender Dream Hero Z started their show on Wednesday with a 9th place during the 1.35m class and the days after they were good for a 3rd place during the 1.35m class on Thursday and a 2nd place during the 1.40m class on Sunday.

Furthermore, the Belgian rider Jordy Oostvogels was also placed twice with the 10-year-old gelding Babou de Laubry Z (Ugano Sitte x Skippy II – B: Haras de Lauby). On Thursday they became 7th in the 1.35m class and on Friday they jumped to a 5th place in the 1.40m class.