Calixte Heartbreaker Z impresses in Abu Dhabi

While on European soil last weekend most attention was focused on the Basel World Cup in Switzerland, five-star competitions in both Doha and Abu Dhabi also saw the Asian continent compete at the very highest level. Especially in Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, our blue and yellow colours came out strongly, with several horses ensuring one or more top placings.

The most eye-catching name in that list was that of the 10-year-old grey mare Calixte Heartbreaker Z, a daughter of our grey stallion Cicero Z van Paemel and Heartbreaker bred in the UK by Hellen Wells. Calixte Heartbreaker Z has only been a combination with British rider Alexander McLean since last month, but with two top placings in Abu Dhabi, it became clear that they are now completely in tune with each other! McLean and Calixte Heartbreaker Z showed their class for the first time on Friday with a handsome ^2nd place during the 1.45m class, but held their own during the 1.50m class on Saturday afternoon. In both the^1st and^2nd stages there, they provided a flawless performance and with a finishing time of 32.08 seconds, they were slightly ahead of the competition.

However, McLean and Calixte Heartbreaker Z's victory was not the only gold podium finish in Abu Dhabi. German rider Sophie Hinners also jumped to a win with the also 10-year-old chestnut mare Iron Dames Kaleni Jo, a daughter of Kannan and Indoctro who was born in the Netherlands at breeder Stal Verhoeven as Kaleni Jo SV Z. Hinners and Iron Dames Kaleni Jo, who had also won during the 1.50m class on Friday also took ^5th place, became the final laureates of the 1.50m class on Saturday morning, where with a clear^2nd phase in 25.98 seconds they were over a quarter of a second ahead of their closest pursuer.

Another victory in Abu Dhabi then came in the name of home rider Abdalla Hamad Ali Al Kirbi and the 9-year-old chestnut mare Georgina Z, a daughter of George Z and Furioso's Sohn from the breeding farm of Heinz Euringer in Germany. Hamad Ali Al Kirbi and Georgina Z competed within the two-star competition and started their competition with a win in the 1.40m class on Thursday.

Besides the victory of McLean and the Cicero Z van Paemel mare Calixte Heartbreaker Z, there was also success in Abu Dhabi for the blood of Aganix du Seigneur Z. During the 1.50m class on Sunday afternoon, it was Swiss rider Janika Sprunger who claimed the top prize with the 9-year-old mare Aganix's Rose of Light, a daughter of Aganix du Seigneur Z and Light On. After a clear first round, Sprunger and Aganix's Rose of Light also kept all the bars in the scoops during the decisive 'Winning Round' and a finishing time of 33.48 seconds gave them over half a second ahead of the competition.

Finally, Brazilian rider Luiz Felipe Cortizo Goncalves de Azevedo Filho also managed to qualify twice with the 12-year-old grey mare Sierra Du Piedroux Z (Hunters Scendix x Contefino - breeder: Claude Noirot). They jumped into first prizes on Friday with ^8th place in the 1.50m class, while in the CSI5* Grand Prix they seized ^5th place.