New GP victory in Wellington

What a top week again for the blue/yellow colors of Studbook Zangersheide at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington International! After the victories of Daniel Bluman with Ladriano Z (Lawito x Baloubet du Rouet – B: Paul Schockemöhle) and Kent Farrington with Toulayna van het Bloesemhof Z (Toulon x Parco - B: Jasper Doucé) in recent weeks, last weekend for the 3rd week in a row a Zangersheide horse won one of the various Grand Prix!  

The victory in the CSI2* GP on Saturday went to the American rider Nikko Ritter on the 9-year-old stallion Aquiles Del Caribe Z, a son of Action Breaker and Gerlinus who was bred by Mauricio Ruiz. Ritter and Aquiles Del Caribe Z started their show on Wednesday with a nice 3rd place during the 1.45m class and during the CSI2* GP they were one of the 11 combinations that managed to qualify for the jump-off after a clear round. in that jump-off, they kept it clear again and with a finish time of 35.61 seconds they were more than a full second ahead of the competition.

Nikko Ritter: “Recently there’s just been such an upward trajectory with this horse; I honestly believe she’s the best horse I’ve ever had. We were second in a three-star in Ocala recently, but this is our first real win. We originally found her while on a trip to Europe. I was there for 13 days and had all but accepted the idea that I wasn’t coming home with a horse and then we found her. I immediately liked her scope and the feeling she gave after the fences.”

But Ritter and Aquiles Del Caribe Z were not the only combination that managed to ensure success during this CSI2* GP, because the 3rd place also colored blue and yellow. The French lady rider Marie Hecart took care of this with the 10-year-old mare Cartouche Vd Cumel Z (Contadoro van de Helle x Orioso Vd Cumul – B: Marc Kempeneers). She also managed to keep it clear in the jump-off, but she crossed the finish line in 37.55 seconds.

During the final day on Sunday, it was looking forward to the CSI4* GP and here too we saw a Zangersheide horse on the GP podium. The 3rd place here went to the Belgian rider Nicola Philippaerts and his 11-year-old chestnut mare H&M Luna van 't Ruytershof Z (Levisto Z x For Pleasure - F: Bert van den Branden), with whom he became Belgian Champion in September in Lanaken. In a jump-off for which 7 combinations were able to qualify, Philippaerts and H&M Luna van 't Ruytershof once again delivered a flawless performance, less than 2 seconds behind the Irish winner Darragh Kenny (Vancouver Dreams).

On Saturday there was a 1.50m class on the program for the CSI4* competition and in this class there was a top 5 ranking for the Canadian rider Sean Jobin with the 11-year-old grey gelding Coquelicot vh Heuvelland Z (Catoki x Cassini II – B : Frans Nollet). They kept it clear in both the basic round and the jump-off and this performance was good for a 4th place in the ranking. Furthermore the American lady rider Lillie Keenan jumped to an 8th place in this class with the 8-year-old stallion Chili Pepper H M Z (Cornet Obolensky x Caretano Z – B: Familie Mievis-Huysegoms).

Furthermore the Irish rider Daniel Coyle was placed twice with the 13-year-old mare Legacy (Ex Chavantele Z – Chippendale Z x Bon Ami – B: Rotty Romain). Coyle and Legacy competed twice and placed 6th in both in the 1.45m class on Wednesday and in the 1.50m class on Friday. During that 1.50m class on Friday, there was a 7th place for the American lady rider Cathleen Driscoll with the 12-year-old mare Go with the Flow (ex Diarola G&C 2011 Z – Diarado x Coronado – B: Melanie Gelin).