Impress-K van 't Kattenheye Z and Casual DV Z bring Belgium European gold!

Last weekend, all eyes were on A Coruña, Spain, where the European Jumping Championships 2025 were on the programme. For the Belgian team it was an unforgettable championship, culminating in the gold medal during the team final on Friday. For our blue and yellow colours of Zangersheide, too, it thus became a successful European Championship, as within the Belgian team two of the four horses had a letter Z behind their name.

Within the Belgian quartet, the 10-year-old stallion Impress-K van 't Kattenheye Z, bred by Tony and Mieke Raman, stood out among others. Ridden by Thibeau Spits, the son of Indoktro-K van 't Kattenheye and Vagabond de la Pomme once again showed his best side. After a strong performance in qualifying, Impress-K delivered a controlled round on Friday, staying clear on the jumps and getting only one penalty point for time overrun. "I must admit I was quite nervous today, but once in the course Impress-K took away all my tension," Spits told us afterwards. "I am still shaking, this is a really great feeling. It was an unforgettable experience and I am forever grateful to Impress-K."

Pieter Devos and his 10-year-old mare Casual DV Z, a daughter of Cornet Obolensky out of a Cicero Z dam from his own breeding, were also part of the Belgian team. They already started their championship excellently on Wednesday with a solid round, but suffered minor setbacks on the following days. Nevertheless, they too had an important share in the Belgian team victory.

Incidentally, for Impress-K van 't Kattenheye Z and Spits, the championship did not end on Friday. After their good performance, the duo also qualified for the individual final on Sunday, in which they again stayed clear twice. With that strong finish, they finished 9th in the overall standings and concluded their very first championship in style.