13 October '25
Grand Prix bronze for Beauville Z N.O.P.
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Studbook
© Longines Global Champions Tour
With no fewer than three five-star competitions on the competition calendar, last weekend was another particularly busy day at the very highest level of international show jumping. One of those prestigious competitions took place in the Italian city of Rome, where the fourteenth round of the Longines Global Champions Tour was held. The LGCT Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon thereby formed the undisputed highlight of the weekend, in which double Olympic medallist Beauville Z N.O.P. once again proved his ultimate class.
Under a warm Italian sun and with the historic heart of Rome in the background, the best forty combinations gathered on Sunday afternoon for the fourteenth LGCT Grand Prix of the season. Italian course designer Uliano Vezzani and his team had once again created a masterful course, which ensured that exactly a quarter of the field managed to advance to the ultimate jump-off. Among them was Dutch rider Maikel van de Vleuten and his top 15-year-old Beauville Z N.O.P., the son of Bustique and Jumpy des Fontaines from the breeding farm of Pascal Habets and Monique Limpens. As the eighth combination at the start, van der Vleuten and Beauville Z N.O.P. also managed to keep their cool in the jump-off and their flawless round in 34.84 seconds eventually proved good for a great 3rd place! And this 3rd place meant even more good news for the successful duo: as both winner Harrie Smolders and runner-up Gilles Thomas were already assured of taking part in the LGCT Super Grand Prix in Prague, now Van der Vleuten and Beauville Z N.O.P. can also prepare for a trip to the Czech capital.
Maikel van der Vleuten: "Beauville has been my number one horse for years and I can really always count on him.... I know that when we enter the arena he will give his heart and soul to do his best and show everyone that he is one of the best horses at the moment. Now in the next few days we have to make a plan ahead of the LGCT Super Grand Prix in Prague."
Christian Ahlmann also travelled to Rome last weekend, where he once again made his mark with strongly ridden rounds. In the first round of the Global Champions League on Friday, Ahlmann saddled our 16-year-old grey stallion Clintrexo Z (Clintissimo Z x Rex Z - Breeder: Stoeterij Zangersheide) and together they put down a true demonstration. In a class against the clock, they raced to an impressive finishing time of 65.30 seconds, just over four (!) full seconds ahead of their closest pursuers.
A second blue/yellow victory came in the name of German rider Sophie Hinners and the 11-year-old mare Come Away Flamingo Z (Cardento VDL x Dollar du Murier - Breeder: Alexandra Rantet). Hinners and Come Away Flamingo Z became the overall winners in the 1.45m class on Saturday afternoon, where a clear2nd phase in 22.43 seconds gave them a slight edge over the competition. Their strong form continued effortlessly on Sunday morning, when they again excelled in another 1.45m class, this time taking 4th place.
Another combination that jumped into the picture was Simon Delestre with the only 8-year-old chestnut mare Castanha van het Beeckhof Z, a breeding product of Patrick and Romy Vandereyt who combined the blood of our chestnut stallion Comilfo Plus Z with that of Tsar Hero. The top French rider appeared at the start in both five-star classes on Saturday with his young mare, resulting in top-five placings twice. During the 1.45m class they jumped to a nice 5th place, while in the subsequent 1.50m main class they stepped up a gear and secured 4th place in the standings.
Finally, there were also two Z-horses that finished 6th on Saturday. In the 1.45m class, that honour went to Italian rider Piergiorgio Bucci with the 13-year-old gelding Cortez van 't Klein Asdonk Z (Cornet Obolensky x Andiamo Z - Breeder: Eddy Thomas), while in the 1.50m class it was British rider Robert Murphy who took 6th place with the 12-year-old gelding Eagle Vd Wolfsakker Z (Elvis Ter Putte x Kashmir Van Schuttershof - Breeder: B. van der Kloet).