Azur Z to silver in the CSI2* Grand Prix of Lier

Lots of international action last weekend on Belgian soil, where there was both a two-star competition at Opglabbeek's Sentower Park and Lier's Azelhof. At the home of the Hazebroek family in Lier, they were ready for the second week of the Spring Tour 2026, with a Z-horse shining on the podium at the CSI2* Grand Prix on Sunday.

A little after 2pm on Sunday afternoon in Lier, the starting gun was given for the CSI2* Grand Prix, in which the obstacles were at a height of 1.45m. A total of sixty-seven combinations ventured there and, of these, twelve managed to complete the basic course designed by course designer Henk Linders and his team. That group of barragists included Swedish rider Antonia Pettersson Häggström and the 9-year-old stallion Azur Z, a son of Asca Z and Kashmir van Schuttershof born at AS Sport Horses BVBA. Pettersson Häggström and Azur Z managed to repeat their flawless performance from the basic round in that 12-strong jump-off and with a finishing time of 39.53 seconds, they secured a fine^2nd place.

Also in this Grand Prix, Belgian rider Evelyne Putters provided a nice result with the 10-year-old mare Pivoine de la Pomme Z (Montebello La Silla x Kannan), who, as her name already suggested, was bred by Geert Baertsoen of Haras de la Pomme. They too managed to qualify for the jump-off and, with a clear round in 40.84 seconds, they eventually stranded just next to the podium in ^4th place.

Besides the CSI2* Grand Prix, there was also a 1.40m class on Sunday for the two-star competition, in which some Z-horses managed to jump into the limelight. The Frenchman Dylan Ringot and the 11-year-old gelding Calleto Z (Calais Z x Codex - breeder: Yusuf Aktepe) came in ^4th, while the Swede Joel Torstenson and the likewise 11-year-old stallion Qwerty Z (Quality Time TN x Heartbreaker - breeder: H.A.P.J. Marcellis) claimed ^5th place.

Belgian rider Thomas de Wit also had a good competition, jumping two or three times in the limelight with two of his breeding products. He managed to place three times with the 11-year-old grey mare Ice Twin Girl Dw Z, a daughter of I M Special de Muze and Wandor van de Mispelaere. De Wit and Ice Twin Girl Dw Z started their competition week on Thursday with a ^9th place in the 1.40m class, a day later came ^12th in another 1.40m class and closed on Saturday with a nice ^4th place in the 1.45m Longines Ranking class.

But also with the likewise 11-year-old stallion Ecuardor Dw Z (El Torreo de Muze x Quasimodo van de Molendreef), de Wit twice ensured a top ranking. Indeed, after a promising ^6th place in the 1.40m class on Thursday, they managed to claim a podium place in the 1.45m Longines Ranking class on Friday. In a jump-off for which twenty combinations qualified, they rushed to the finish in 36.09 seconds, with^2nd place as final result.

Finally, there were also two other Z-horses who achieved^2nd place throughout the weekend. For German rider Cedric Wolf and the 15-year-old gelding Capitano Z (Cornado RNW x Lordanos - breeder: Charlotte Peeters) this was during the 1.40m class on Thursday, while Belgian rider Lars van Rossem and the 12-year-old mare Litte Star d'Ysenbeeck Z (Le Diamant Horta x Jamar d'Ysenbeeck Z - breeder: Herlinde De Coninck & Stijn Herrebosch) signed for the silver in the 1.35m class on Saturday. For van Rossem and Litte Star d'Ysenbeeck Z, this was also the second top 10 placing of the weekend, following a ^6th place during the 1.35m class on Thursday.