A strong Z-weekend at Spruce Meadows

As well as the Longines Global Champions Tour in Monaco, there was once again top-class five-star equestrian sport to enjoy on the other side of the Atlantic last weekend. After all, the North American Tournament was taking place on the legendary turf of Spruce Meadows in Calgary, where the Z-class horses delivered a host of impressive performances throughout the weekend.

For five days, the iconic Spruce Meadows provided the backdrop for top-class international sport, with the prestigious ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Saturday serving as the absolute highlight of the weekend. In this CSI5* Grand Prix, the riders were presented with a two-round competition, with only the top twelve from the first round qualifying for the decisive second round. Among those twelve were the Israeli rider Daniel Bluman and the 11-year-old grey mare Corbie V.V. Z, the daughter of Cornet Obolensky and Chacco Blue, bred by Evelyne and Colin Van Vreckom. Bluman and Corbie V.V. Z clocked the second-fastest time of 81.94 seconds, but a small fault along the way ultimately relegated them to^third place.

Another strong performance in this CSI5* Grand Prix came from Kyle King and the equally 11-year-old mare Kayenne Z, the daughter of Kannan and Canezaro. King, who recently swapped his American nationality for Canadian citizenship, rode Kristof Engelen’s home-bred mare to the finish line in the second round in 82.24 seconds; with the four penalty points they incurred in the first round, they ultimately finished just off the podium in^fourth place. On the opening day on Wednesday, the pair had also made their mark with a^7th-place finish in the 1.45m class.

However, in the five-star competition in Calgary, there was also a blue-and-yellow victory to celebrate, thanks to the Irish rider Daniel Coyle and the 13-year-old mare Urville Z, a daughter of Ukato and Crown Z who was bred in the Netherlands by J.G.M. Meijer. Coyle and Urville Z, who have performed strongly on several occasions in recent months, were crowned champions of the 1.50m class on Sunday morning. They rode flawlessly in both the first round and the ‘Winning Round’, and with a finishing time of 48.90 seconds, they were more than a full second ahead of the competition.

On Thursday, there was also a top placing for the Colombian Mark Bluman and the 13-year-old gelding Landon De Nyze Z, the son of our chestnut stallion Comilfo Plus Z and Quadrillo, bred by Danny Nijs. Bluman and Landon De Nyze Z, who have also been in excellent form for several months now, jumped their way to an impressive^second place in the 1.55m Grand Prix Qualifier.

A day later, it was the Mexican rider Eugenio Garza Perez who secured success for the blue and yellow colours with the 18-year-old gelding Victer Finn DH Z (Va Vite x Stakkato), where the letters DH refer to the stud farm De Dwerse Hagen BVBA. Garza Perez and Victer Finn DH Z competed in the 1.50m class, where they secured^5th place in the rankings after two clear rounds.