24 February '26
Landon de Nyze continues success series
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Studbook
© Sportfot
With no fewer than four international competitions on the programme, there was also a lot of fantastic show jumping to enjoy in the United States last weekend. These included five-star action at the Winter Equestrian Festival at Wellington International, where Colombian rider Mark Bluman and the chestnut gelding Landon de Nyze continued their strong run of recent weeks uninterrupted.
Mark Bluman and 13-year-old Landon de Nyze (ex Crack de Nyze Z - Comilfo Plus Z x Quadrillo - breeder: Danny Nijs) have only been a combination for a few months, but by now they seem to be completely in tune with each other. After ensuring a resounding victory at the fourth WEF Challenge Cup of the season just three weeks ago, the newly-minted duo secured an absolute top ranking in the CSI5* Grand Prix last weekend. On Saturday evening, Bluman and Landon de Nyze were one of five combinations that managed to clear the basic round by US course designer Anthony d'Ambrosio and his team to qualify for the jump-off. In it, they kept all the bars neatly in the scoops for the second time and with a finishing time of 39.71 seconds they secured a fantastic2nd place.
Mark Bluman: "I'm not competing to come second, so I was a bit disappointed in myself because I could have taken more risk at the double jump. In qualifying on Thursday, I did take a risk at the double jump, but then I ran into a mistake. So hence I was more careful (laughs). I have never ridden such a good horse in my life. Finally everything is falling into place, and it has been a long struggle. It means a lot to me to have a horse like that."
After the CSI5* Grand Prix on Saturday evening, another 1.50m class was on the programme for the riders of the five-star competition on Sunday and in it, two Z-horses managed to advance to a spot on the podium. Silver went to Irish rider Darragh Kenny and the 11-year-old mare Colibelle Hero Z, a daughter of Comme Il Faut and Rubens du Ri d'Asse bred by Marc Kluskens and Luc Henry, with whom Kenny also finished eighth in the 1.45m class on Wednesday during the opening day. In both the first and second rounds they ensured a flawless round and this performance also earned them2nd place in the rankings.
In doing so, they did just one place better than German rider Christian Kukuk and the 10-year-old gelding Akarad Tivoli Z, a son of our new trump card Akarad Hero Z out of a Landwind II B dam. The reigning Olympic Champion piloted the breeding product of the Zwartjens family from the Netherlands to 3rd place after he managed to stop the clock 50.93 seconds in the decisive round.
In addition to his2nd place with Colibelle Hero Z, Darragh Kenny also jumped to a top ranking in this 1.50m class with the 13-year-old stallion Cosmos BH, a son of Chellano Alpha Z and Artos Z who was born to Cosmos Z at our stud farm Zangersheide. Kenny and Cosmos BH managed to stop the clock in 51.19 seconds in the second round, stranding them just off the podium in 4th place.
On Thursday in Wellington, the WEF Challenge Cup is traditionally the highlight of the day and in it too, two Z-horses managed to jump into the limelight. These included a podium place for American rider Charlotte Jacobs and the 11-year-old gelding Playboy JT Z (Presley Boy x Plot Blue), with the letters JT referring to breeder Johan Thijs of Horsestud Thijs BVBA. In a jump-off for which 11 out of forty-one combinations managed to qualify, they secured 3rd place after managing to stop the clock in 40.01 seconds.
For Darragh Kenny's compatriot Cian O'Connor there was then another 4th place in this WEF Challenge Cup with the 10-year-old chestnut stallion Ulysses, a son of For Pleasure and Verdi TN who was given the birth name Freeman Heureka Z by breeders Luc Henry and J.J. Remijns. They too did not make a mistake in either the basic round or the jump-off, finishing at 40.87 seconds.
Furthermore, British rider Ben Maher had a successful weekend in Wellington with the 9-year-old gelding Maddox vh Haringvliet Z (Monte Bellini x Ogano Sitte), a breeding product of the Hoekstra family in the Netherlands. Maher and Maddox vh Haringvliet Z immediately made an excellent start to their competition week on Wednesday with a 3rd place during the 1.45m class, but they were also on target on Friday when they secured a nice 4th place during the 1.50m class.
Then again, for Egyptian rider Nayel Nassar and the 9-year-old mare Crislin van den Bosrand Z (Carambole x Nabab de Rêve - breeder: Luc Huyhe) there were three top 10 placings last weekend. During the opening day on Wednesday, they already gained a 5th place in the 1.40m class and both in the 1.50m class on Friday and Sunday they finished in 6th place.
Finally, within the classes of the five-star competition, Brazilian rider Stephanie Macieira and the 9-year-old mare Kantella van 't Merelsnest Z (Kannan x Plot Blue), also bred by the Van Bunder family, were on the podium. They jumped to2nd place during the 1.40m class on Wednesday and this after a flawless round.
Two-star competition
In addition to as that five-star action, the past few days in Wellington also saw jumping at two-star level, and in that too some Z-horses came on strong. On Thursday, for example, there was a blue/yellow victory thanks to American rider Paris Sellon and the 10-year-old grey mare Calida Z, a daughter of Cornet Obolensky and Carthago Z bred in the Netherlands by J.R.J. Evenhuis and L.G. Morsink. Sellon and Calida Z became the overall winners of the 1.45m class, in which they were just under a full second ahead of the competition with a convincing round in 64.99 seconds.
In the CSI2* Grand Prix on Sunday, Sellon's compatriot Molly Ashe Cawley jumped into the top five with the 10-year-old mare E Liberty Of Dalwhinnie Z (Eldorado van de Zeshoek x Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve - breeder: J.F.M. Oortveld). In both the basic round and the jump-off, they managed to keep the 0 on the scoreboard, which finally earned them 5th place in the standings.
Last but not least, American rider Blythe Karolyi also signed for 5th place twice within the classes of the two-star competition. In the saddle of the 10-year-old mare Baileys Van De Broy Z (Bisquet Balou van de Mispelaere x Lord Z - breeder: Birgit Engelbosch) this was during the 1.45m class on Thursday, while with the 12-year-old mare Datana van 't Schaaphof Z (Dutch Capitol x Heartbreaker - breeder: Maurice Van de Walle) she secured 5th place during the 1.45m class on Friday.