Double victory for Winnetou de la Hamente Z in Opglabbeek

In addition to the four-star competition at Jumping International de la Province de Liège, international show jumping also took place on Belgian soil last weekend at the Meynaerts family's Sentower Park in Opglabbeek. There, Liechtenstein rider Jennifer Hochstaedter had an absolutely top week with her 15-year-old gelding Winnetou de La Hamente Z, writing two victories on their record throughout the weekend.

After the start of the young horses on Wednesday evening, the riders of the two-star competition started their competition in Opglabbeek on Thursday. For them, a 1.45m qualification for the CSI2* Grand Prix was also on the programme on that opening day, and in it it was Hochstaedter and Winnetou de La Hamente Z (Winningmood van de Arenberg x Socrate de Chivre) who were victorious. In a class against the clock, Hochstaedter piloted Emmanuel Wera's breeding product to the finish in 62.70 seconds, outclassing the competition.

But the absolute highlight of the weekend came for the duo during the CSI2* Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. Hochstaedter and Winnetou de La Hamente Z were one of twelve combinations to clear the first-round of course designer Luc Verboven and his team and thus managed to advance to the jump-off. In it, they once again managed to keep their cool and with a convincing finishing time of 33.77 seconds, they were more than a full second ahead of the rest of the field.

However, Hochstaedter and Winnetou de La Hamente Z were not the only ones jumping into the limelight during this highlight of the weekend. For example, in ^5th place we saw British rider Joe Clee with our 8-year-old stallion A Man After Midnight Z, a son of Aganix du Seigneur Z and Aldatus who was born and raised at Zangersheide Stud Farm. Clee and A Man After Midnight Z also provided a flawless performance twice, but they needed 36.05 seconds to complete their jump-off.

Furthermore, last weekend Joe Clee also brought our 8-year-old grey stallion Allroad 2000 Z (Aganix du Seigneur Z x Cassini I - Breeder: Stud 2000) to the start in Opglabbeek and that resulted in three clear rounds with two top 5 placings. After a great^2nd place in the 1.35m class on Friday, Clee and Allroad 2000 Z closed their competition on Sunday morning with a ^5th place in the 1.40m class.

During that 1.40m class on Sunday morning, however, two Z-horses also managed to secure a top-3 ranking. These included a^2nd place for Belgian rider Michaël Vreys and his 9-year-old mare Heideroosje Van Plockroy Z (Heidelberg van het Lindehof x Ogano Sitte), who was also bred by the Vreys family. Vreys and Heideroosje Van Plockroy Z, who also gained ^7th place during the 1.40m class on Thursday, kept it neatly clear in both the^1st and^2nd phases and managed to finish in 32.08 seconds.

^Third place went to German rider Michael Jung and the 8-year-old gelding Fischerheros Z, a son of Hotspot and Odermus, who was born as Heros vd Windelsteen Z to breeder Peter Hofman. Jung and Fischerheros Z also went clear in the^2nd phase, finishing in 32.19 seconds. On Thursday during the 1.45m Grand Prix Qualifier, Jung also managed a top ranking with the also already 8-year-old chestnut mare Eclaire Z, a daughter of Epleaser van 't Heike Z and Stakkako from the breeding farm of W. Vestjens in the Netherlands. Jung and Eclaire Z, who was sold in 2024 during our Zangersheide Quality Jumpers - powered by MBA, crossed the finish line in 63.04 seconds, trailing just behind Hochstaedter and her Winnetou de La Hamente Z.

But ^3rd place during this main class on Thursday was also coloured blue and yellow thanks to Monegasque rider Iñigo Lopez De La Osa Franco and the 9-year-old mare Desiree E Z (Dominator 2000 Z x Upsilon van de Heffinck) from the breeding farm of Patrick Franssen. Lopez De La Osa Franco and Desiree E Z clocked off in 63.11 seconds, thus also securing a podium place.

In the 1.45m main class on Saturday, Irish rider Eoin McMahon and the 9-year-old grey stallion Disney Z (Dimitri Z x Numero Uno - Breeder: Baekgaarden Youngsters A/S) also took a podium place. They crossed the finishing line in 32.00 seconds in the^2nd phase, also securing ^3rd place.

Finishing are two combinations who gained another ^9th place through the weekend. For the German rider Tim Rieskamp - Goedeking and the 9-year-old mare Danger Z (Dominator 2000 Z x Calvados Z - Breeder: Stoeterij Zangersheide) this was during the 1.40m class on Friday, while the Irish rider Bertram Allen and the also 9-year-old gelding Akarad Tivoli Z (Akarad Hero Z x Landwind II B - Breeder: Zwartjens Sporthorses) gained ^9th place during the CSI2* Grand Prix.