04 August '25
Daughter of Kassander van 't Roosakker Z wins CSI2* Grand Prix of Valkenswaard
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Studbook
© Longines Tops International Arena
For the second week in a row, the past few days saw international show jumping at the Longines Tops International Arena in Valkenswaard, where this time the Longines Global Future Champions were on the programme. Besides the youth series for the Juniors and Young Riders, a two-star competition took place at the home of Jan Tops and Edwina Tops-Alexander. In that, the CSI2* Grand Prix was of course the absolute highlight of the weekend and in it it was a Z-horse that took victory.
The CSI2* Grand Prix was the final event within the two-star competition on Sunday afternoon and brought a total of fifty-two combinations to the start. German course designer Peter Schumacher had laid out a tactically demanding course that required precision, power and speed. Of those fifty-two combinations, fourteen eventually managed to complete the 1.45m high course and thus qualify for the jump-off. One of those fourteen were Brazilian rider Eduardo Pereira De Menezes and the 9-year-old mare H5 Kay's Pleasure Hero Z, a daughter of Kassander Van 't Roosakker Z and For Pleasure born to breeder Luc Henry. In the jump-off, Pereira De Menezes and H5 Kay's Pleasure Hero Z had the luxury of reappearing in the ring as the last combination and provided a perfect scenario. They again kept all the bars neatly in the scoops and with a finishing time of 38.70 seconds they lived up to the saying 'the last will be first'.
But not only the victory in this CSI2* Grand Prix was taken by a Z-horse, the silver there also coloured blue and yellow. Spanish rider Sergio Alvarez Moya and the 8-year-old grey gelding Caen, a son of Chacoon Blue and Clintissimo Z, who was born Caen vd Verbindshoeve Z to breeder Kevin Luyckx. Alvarez Moya and Caen, who on Friday's opening day also finished 6th in the 1.45m class, were again clear in the jump-off, but needed 38.89 seconds to complete the course.
Furthermore, in the top five of this CSI2* Grand Prix we also saw a 4th place for German rider Daniel Deusser with the 9-year-old mare Kaduna JL Z (Kannan x Querlybet Hero - Breeder: Luc & Jules Leemans) and a 5th place for Dutch rider Thalessa de Jong with the 10-year-old stallion Karan-K Van 't Kattenheye Z (Kannan x Caretano Z - Breeder: Tony Raman & Mieke Strobbe). This was already the second ranking of the weekend for de Jong and Karan-K van 't Kattenheye Z, after they also secured 8th place in that 1.45m class on Friday.
Victory during this 1.45m main class on Friday then went to Belgian Champion Gilles Thomas and his 13-year-old black stallion Feromas van Beek Z, the son of Fantomas de Muze and Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve from the breeding farm of Guido Herrijgers van 't Eirbissemhof. In a class against the clock, Thomas and Feromas van Beek Z sped to the finish in 65.55 seconds, giving them a lead of over half a second over the rest of the field of competitors.
In the 1.45m class on Saturday, French rider Antoine Ermann managed to claim a podium place just like the week before with the 9-year-old gelding Delirium Zoetendaele Z, a son of Diamant de Semilly and Der Senaat 111 from the breeding farm of Carine and Arnold Lootens. The duo provided a flawless round in this speed class and this performance earned them 3rd place in the rankings.
Last but not least, it was also a successful weekend in Valkenswaard for Dutch rider Piet Raijmakers Jr. and the 13-year-old mare Van Schijndel's Olaya Z (Ogano Sitte x Concorde), the breeding product of F. van Och. In both the 1.30m class on Saturday and Sunday's class, they came out strongest and managed to outclass the competition.