Beauville Z N.O.P. helps the Netherlands win in the Longines League of Nations at Rotterdam

The Dutch port city of Rotterdam was once again the setting for top international sport last weekend, with the third leg of the prestigious Longines League of Nations. In the atmospheric Kralingse Bos, the world's best show jumpers gathered for the hard-fought Nations Cup on Friday. In front of their own audience, Team NL delivered a rock-solid performance, with a starring role for Beauville Z N.O.P. Ridden by Maikel van der Vleuten, the experienced gelding once again proved his worth and helped Orange to a memorable victory in this exciting team competition.

The Longines League of Nations at Rotterdam was a competition to savour, with excitement until the very last jump. In the end, it was the host country the Netherlands that managed to secure victory on home soil, much to the enthusiasm of the large crowd in attendance. A crucial role in that success was played by Maikel van der Vleuten and his top 15-year-old Beauville Z N.O.P., a son of Bustique and Jumpy des Fontaines, bred by Pascal Habets. The bronze medallists from last year's Paris Olympics again showed their absolute class, as they had an important share in the Dutch victory with two fantastic clear rounds.

Maikel van der Vleuten: "It was only the first tough course Beauville jumped again after the World Cup final in Basel at the beginning of April. Today he showed his fantastic mentality again. We really work as a team. After the World Cup final he had a rest and now he is back in the form we want. That gives me a very good feeling."

Another combination that again came out strong at the Longines League of Nations was Belgian rider Thibeau Spits and his 10-year-old black stallion Impress-K van 't Kattenheye Z, the breeding product of Tony Raman and Mieke Strobbe who combined the blood of Indoktro-K van 't Kattenheye with that of Vagabond de la Pomme. Spits and Impress-K van 't Kattenheye Z were part of the Belgian team as in St Gallen a few weeks ago and thanked for the confidence with a clear round and a round with 2 penalties for time.

Furthermore, Irish rider Tom Wachman also provided two great rounds with his also 10-year-old stallion Tabasco de Toxandria Z, a son of Thunder van Zuuthoeve and Cento Lano bred by Werner Dieckx. Twice in the Longines League of Nations, Wachman and Tabasco de Toxandria Z kept all the bars neatly in the scoops, but were charged with two penalty points and one penalty point for time respectively.

There was also a blue/yellow victory in Rotterdam in recent days thanks to Dutch rider Logan Fiechter and the 12-year-old mare D-Iness Z, a daughter of Darius and Osmium bred in the Netherlands by R.L.M. Jansen. Fiechter and D-Iness Z were the winners of the 1.45m opening class on Thursday, where they were seven hundredths of a second ahead of the rest of the field of competitors with a clear^2nd phase in 35.53 seconds.

With three top 10 placings, it was also a particularly successful weekend for Italian rider Giulia Martinengo Marquet and her 10-year-old gelding Captain Morgan Weering Z, a son of Carrera VDL and Arezzo VDL bred by Stal de Weering/R. Lanting. Martinengo Marquet and Captain Morgan Weering Z got off to an excellent start on Thursday with a ^5th place in the 1.50m class, followed by a ^7th place in the 1.50m class on Friday and a ^9th place in the 1.50m class on Saturday. In doing so, the duo also managed to ensure three flawless performances.

During that 1.50m class on Friday afternoon, Thibeau Spits also managed to jump into the prizes with the 9-year-old stallion Conrad Quality Z, a son of Connor and Corrado I out of the breeding of Koen Terryn of Quality Stud. Spits and Conrad Quality Z did just a little faster than Martinengo Marquet and Captain Morgan Weering Z, taking ^6th place.

And also in that 1.50m class on Saturday we saw a second Z-horse jump into the limelight alongside Martinengo Marquet and Captain Morgan Weering Z. So ^7th place went to Norwegian rider Therese Soehol Henriksen and the 13-year-old stallion Santos Z, a son of Spartacus TN and Cassini I born at Oosterbrook Stables. Soehol Henriksen and Santos Z did not make a mistake twice in the process.