18 September '26
David Simpson and Ocean triumph in second qualifying round for seven-year-olds
© Sportfot. Simpson David & Ocean
Another day of competition, another chance for the young showjumpers to distinguish themselves at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses. After the 5-, 6- and 7-year-old horses completed their first qualifying round yesterday, the young talents took to the arena for a second time today to secure a good starting position ahead of the finals. The seven-year-olds were back in action in the Ratina Z-Arena, where the competition got underway at 8.00 am.
The seven-year-old horses took to the start today with 190 rider-horse combinations and were once again presented with a course set at a height of 1.40m. Unlike yesterday, this time the course was set against the clock, making speed a key factor from the very first metre. Victory ultimately went to the Irish rider David Simpson with the KWPN gelding Ocean, a son of Zambesi TN and Clinton who was bred in the Netherlands by the Bosch brothers. Simpson and Ocean produced an excellent round and, with a finishing time of 68.17 seconds, were more than half a second ahead of the competition.
The remaining podium places were both taken by Dutch riders. Second place went to Willem Greve on the BWP stallion Tattoo TN, a son of Parfait van het Schaeck and Kannan, who was bred as part of a collaboration between Valentijn De Bock and Carl Heyrman. Greve and Tattoo TN also produced a strong round, clocking a time of 68.79 seconds.
Greve’s compatriot Hendrik-Jan Schutters took third place with the gelding Irisch Mist Z, a son of Highlander vd Kalevallei and Numero Uno, bred by B. Wekema and J. Windstra. After a top clear round, they crossed the finish line in 69.33 seconds, which secured them a place on the podium.
Belgian rider Thibault Philippaerts, riding the BWP stallion Tourmalet L3b (Diamant de Semilly x Darco – breeder: L3b Vof), and British rider Angela Thompson, riding the AES mare Dawn Lancer (Dollar du Rouet x Dollar Dela Pierre – breeder: The Lancer Stud) were the other two winners in the top five of the rankings.