Grand Prix win for Eagele Z in Bonheiden

While international show jumping took place on numerous foreign courses last weekend, another international competition was also on the programme on Belgian soil. Indeed, the Jumping Bonheiden equestrian centre hosted a two-star competition from Thursday to Sunday and there were many fine performances to be noted. The highlight of the weekend was the CSI2* Grand Prix on Sunday, in which victory coloured blue and yellow.

Indeed, the top prize in Bonheiden went to British rider James Smith and his 14-year-old stallion Eagele Z, a son of Eldorado van de Zeshoek and Ramiro Z who was bred in the Netherlands by Bart Timmermans. Smith and Eagele Z already won seven international classes last year and proved their class again in Bonheiden. They were one of the ten combinations that managed to clear the 1.45m high basic round designed by track builder Frank Van Humbeeck and thus qualified for the jump-off. In that, too, they stayed clear and with a finishing time of 33.68 seconds they added another handsome victory to their record.

However, Smith and Eagele Z were not the only ones to succeed in this CSI2* Grand Prix, as ^3rd place was also taken by a Z-horse. That honour fell to Smith's compatriot Joe Clee and our 8-year-old stallion Applebridge Tag Z, a breeding product of Evert Van Gorp and Ilse Brugmans who combined the blood of Aganix du Seigneur Z with that of VDL Corland. Clee and Applebridge Tag Z also managed to ensure a clear jump-off, but needed 36.14 seconds to complete their run.

Then, in the 1.45m Longines Ranking class on Friday, Clee managed a top ranking with the also 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. In both the first and second and decisive round, Clee and A Man After Midnight Z neatly kept all the bars in the reels and this result also earned them ^3rd place in the standings.

In ^7th place in this Longines Ranking Test we saw Belgian rider Maxim Godecharle and the 11-year-old gelding Aribas Z, a son of Aktion Pur Z and Cracky Z from the breeding farm of Wim Malisart. Godecharle and Aribas Z managed to put the second fastest time on the scoreboard in 39.78 seconds in the decisive round, but a mistake on the way unfortunately kept them from a podium place.

The 1.40m Small Grand Prix on Saturday evening did yield a podium place for Godecharle's compatriot Jorik Vervoort and the 8-year-old stallion Karan Vd Heffinck Z, a son of Kannan and Baloubet du Rouet bred by the Hamerlinck family. In a jump-off for which 14 combinations managed to qualify, Vervoort and Karan Vd Heffinck Z again kept it neatly clear, which was finally good for ^3rd place.

Besides the good performances of the Aganix du Seigneur Z offspring Applebridge Tag Z and A Man After Midnight Z, there was also success in Bonheiden for the offspring of Dominator 2000 Z. In the 1.40m main class on Thursday, James Smith jumped, among others, to a top 5 ranking with the 10-year-old gelding Dominican 2000 Z, a son of Dominator 2000 Z and Casir ASK bred by Carl Brems and Mieke Bosma. In a class against the clock, Smith and Dominican 2000 Z could not be caught out on any faults, taking ^4th place.

In the 1.40m class on Friday, French rider Valentine Delaveau then managed to jump into the prizes with the 8-year-old mare Daredevil Z, a daughter of Dominator 2000 Z and Pronto bred by Leonard Joëlle. In both phase 1 and phase 2 they managed to keep their cool, which eventually earned them ^7th place.

Finally, in this 1.40m class on Friday, there was also a top ranking for Delaveau's compatriot Lou Morali and the 11-year-old mare I'Am Star du Long Chene Z (I Am Moerhoeve's Star x Ohio van de Padenborre - B: Eddy Desmecht). They secured ^4th place in the standings after a double clear round.