Biarritz Z and Camina Z add a splash of colour to the Grand Prix podium in Kronenberg

In the Netherlands, it was time to gather once again last weekend at the beautiful Peelbergen Equestrian Centre in Kronenberg, where a two-star show was on the programme from Thursday to Saturday. It proved to be a particularly successful show for our blue and yellow Zangersheide colours, as no fewer than two Z-class horses secured a place on the podium in the closing CSI2* Grand Prix.

A busy international weekend in Kronenberg came to a close on Saturday afternoon with a particularly thrilling CSI2* Grand Prix. No fewer than eighty-one riders and horses took their chance over the 1.45m-high basic course, which had been designed by the team led by the Belgian course designer Pieter Vitse. Of those eighty-one combinations, seventeen managed to complete the course clear of faults, thereby qualifying for the decisive jump-off. One of them was the Emirati rider Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi with the 8-year-old mare Biarritz Z, a daughter of Brunetti Z and Campione Z who was born at our Zangersheide Stud. Aziz Al Marzooqi and Biarritz Z, who was sold in 2025 at our Zangersheide Quality Jumpers – Powered by MBA – also rode a flawless round in the jump-off and, with a finishing time of 38.19 seconds, secured a brilliant^second place.

However, Aziz Al Marzooqi and Biarritz Z were not the only Z combination to shine in this Grand Prix, as the bronze medal also went to a blue-and-yellow pair. This was achieved by the Irish rider Michael Duffy on the 9-year-old mare Camina Z, a daughter of Cicero Z van Paemel and Graf Sponeck, bred by Christoph Kuck in Germany. Duffy and Camina Z, who had already secured 4th place on Thursday in the 1.45m Longines Ranking class, also kept a clean sheet in the jump-off. With a finishing time of 38.39 seconds, they thus added another podium finish to their list of achievements.

In the Grand Prix, it was just not quite gold for our blue and yellow colours, but during Thursday’s Longines Ranking Class, it was indeed a Z-class horse that took the top prize. It was the Dutch rider Maikel van der Vleuten who put in the strongest performance with the 10-year-old stallion Kentucky TMS Z, a son of Kannan and Toulon from the Tal Milstein Stables stud. In the timed class, Van der Vleuten and Kentucky TMS Z raced to the finish line in 69.01 seconds, giving them a lead of just under half a second over their closest rival.

Also on Friday, Belgian rider Louise Losfeld secured a podium place with the 13-year-old mare Athina Louise Z, a daughter of Arko III and Ugano Sitte bred by Christine Callewaert. Losfeld and Athina Louise Z competed in the 1.40m class, where they secured^third place after a clear round.

Another standout combination was Losfeld’s compatriot Oscar Van Den Berghe and the 10-year-old mare Top Secret de Muze Z, a breeding product of Joris De Brabander combining the bloodlines of Tornedo FCS with those of Golden Hawk. Van Den Berghe and Top Secret de Muze Z immediately made their mark on Thursday with a^9th place in the 1.40m class, but really hit their stride on Friday when they took ^2nd place in the 1.45m main class.

Last but not least, Italian rider Giampiero Garofalo also made a name for himself with the 12-year-old mare Kadessa Z (Kannan x Harley VDL – breeder: J.A.M. Bocken). During Saturday’s 1.40m class, they rode a flawless round, finishing in^fourth place.