04 June '25
Caetlin vd Heffinck Z triumphs in the CSI4* Grand Prix of St. Tropez
© Sportfot
The four-star competitions on French soil turned out to be a true success for our colours from Zangersheide last weekend. At Cabourg Classic there was the handsome Grand Prix victory for Kevin Staut and Vida Loca Z, but victory in the CSI4* Grand Prix also coloured blue and yellow in the beautiful setting of the Gassin Polo Club in St. Tropez.
It was French rider Alexa Ferrer who took the top prize thanks to her 10-year-old chestnut mare Caetlin Vd Heffinck Z, a daughter of Chacco Blue and Cabrio Z who - as her name suggests - was bred by the Hamerlinck family. Ferrer and Caetlin Vd Heffinck Z, who had already started their competition strongly on Thursday with a great 3rd place in the 1.50m Big Tour, were among the ten combinations to clear the 1.60m base course designed by course builder Cédric Longis and thus qualify for the jump-off. In it, they managed to repeat their flawless performance and with a finishing time of 40.93 seconds they narrowly kept the victory at home.
In the same CSI4* Grand Prix, there was also a podium place for Italian rider Lorenzo De Luca with the 12-year-old black mare Noblesse Vd Mespel Z, a daughter of Nabab de Rêve and Escudo I from the breeding farm of Bart Veldeman. They too managed to leave all obstacles untouched in the jump-off and their finishing time of 41.98 seconds was finally good for 3rd place.
In the 1.50m Big Tour on Thursday, there was not only a 3rd place for Alexa Ferrer and her Caetlin Vd Heffinck Z, the other podium places in this Grand Prix Qualifier were also taken by Z-horses. Thus, victory was Gregory Wathelet and the 10-year-old mare Cameron Z, a daughter of Chester Z and Chacco Blue bred in Germany by Paul Schockemöhle. The mare joined Wathelet's stables a few months ago and immediately proved her worth as well. In this class against the clock, Wathelet and Cameron Z sped to the finish in 64.65 seconds, good for a lead of just under a full second over the competition. During the 1.50m Big Tour on Sunday, they also managed to close their competition with a nice eighth place.
The silver in this Grand Prix Qualifier went to Israeli rider Yali Kass and the 13-year-old chestnut mare Luna van 't Ruytershof Z, a daughter of Levisto Z and For Pleasure who, under Nicola Philippaerts in Lanaken, became Belgian champion in the Seniors in 2022. Kass guided Bert Van den Branden's breeding product clear through the course, posting a time of 65.64 seconds.
Furthermore, American rider Laura Kraut also had a nice competition with her 10-year-old stallion Trés Bien Z, a son of Toulon and Nabab de Rêve bred in the Netherlands by Sander Dingen. Kraut and Trés Bien Z placed 4th during this Grand Prix Qualifier on Thursday, while they finished 7th during the CSI4* Grand Prix on Saturday. A jumping fault in the jump-off then eventually kept them off the Grand Prix podium.
Another striking combination within the classes of the CSI4* competition was fast Luxembourger Victor Bettendorf and the 10-year-old chestnut mare Eytuka Of Two Notes Z, a breeding product of Toby Huys who combined the blood of Emerald van 't Ruytershof with that of Chin Chin. Bettendorf and Eytuka Of Two Notes Z, who competed together for the first time in St. Tropez, started their show on Wednesday with a 3rd place in the 1.40m class and had a first victory the next day. In another 1.40m class, they finished clear in 61.64 seconds, 11 hundredths of a second ahead of their nearest pursuer.