First Grand Prix victory for Maddox vh Haringvliet Z

Last weekend, an international three-star show was also on the programme in the United Kingdom, specifically at the Chard Equestrian centre. Several Z-level horses also made their mark, most notably former Olympic champion Ben Maher and Maddox vh Haringvliet Z, who together secured their very first Grand Prix victory.

The three-star show at Chard Equestrian turned out to be a particularly successful weekend for British rider Ben Maher and the 9-year-old gelding Maddox vh Haringvliet Z, a son of Monte Bellini and Ogano Sitte from the Hoekstra family’s stud in the Netherlands. After the pair had already put in a strong performance on Friday with an impressive^second place in the 1.45m Grand Prix Qualifier, the absolute highlight came on Sunday during the CSI3* Grand Prix. Maher and Maddox vh Haringvliet Z were among the eight pairs who successfully completed the 1.55m-high first round, thereby qualifying for the jump-off. There too, they kept all the bars neatly in place and, with an impressive finishing time of 49.12 seconds, they were a full six seconds faster than their closest rivals!

Ben Maher: “I’m really pleased with this performance! Maddox is only nine years old and had a quiet season last year as an eight-year-old. He jumped fantastically on Friday during the qualifier, so we decided to give him a day’s rest on Saturday with this Grand Prix in mind. He jumped brilliantly again in the first round too, and I’m glad I was quick enough this time (laughs). I’ve had him since he was six, and we’re getting to know each other very well now. He has a tremendous canter, and that came in very handy today.”

Another standout combination at Chard were British rider Anna Power and the 8-year-old chestnut gelding Calgary PH Z, a son of Comme Il Faut and Caretano Z who was bred in the Netherlands by Ellen Poels. Power and Calgary PH Z competed twice and managed to secure a place in the top five of the rankings on both occasions. Having started their competition on Thursday with a^5th place in the 1.45m class, they followed this up on Saturday with a fine^4th place in the 1.50m Longines Ranking class.

Finally, during Sunday’s 1.40m class, British rider Carron Nicol made a name for herself with the 8-year-old stallion Dolomite Z, a son of Diamant de Semilly and Caretano Z who was born here at Zangersheide Stud. A double clear round earned the pair a creditable^7th place.