Make My Day Z Du Gevres wins the CSI4* Grand Prix of Mâcon Chaintré

While the absolute world's top riders spread out over the Longines Global Champions Tour of Madrid on the one hand and the Royal Windsor Horse Show on the other last weekend, there was also competition at various four-star level competitions around the world. One of those was the Mâcon Chaintré show in the heart of France, where the CSI4* Grand Prix on Sunday was the apotheosis of a busy international weekend. It turned out to be a fruitful afternoon for our blue and yellow colours, with two Z-horses helping to colour the Grand Prix podium.

From 3 p.m. onwards, the crowds gathered around the Mâconnaise arena, at the foot of the Chaintré castle, for this absolute main event of the weekend. A total of forty-three combinations took their chances in the 1.55m high basic course designed by track builder Cédric Longis and his team, and of these, a final ten managed to advance to the jump-off. One of those ten was French rider Marc Dilasser and the 10-year-old grey mare Make My Day Z Du Gevres, a daughter of Mylord Carthago and Ukato bred in the Netherlands by Jan Sips and Martijn Cerpentier. Dilasser and Make My Day Z Du Gevres, who were winners of the CSI3* Grand Prix in Lille back in December, also managed to keep it neatly clear in the jump-off and with a finishing time of 43.71 seconds, they thus wrote another Grand Prix on their record.

Marc Dilasser: "It's really fantastic, I couldn't have wished for anything better! This is Make My Day's third Grand Prix victory. She already won the second Grand Prix in Paris last year, then in Lille and now here in Mâcon. She also recently made her Nations Cup debut in Ocala, where she left a masterful impression. Next up is La Baule at the beginning of June."

However, Make My Day Z du Gevres was not the only Z horse that managed to shine at this CSI4* Grand Prix, as ^3rd place also coloured blue and yellow. Dilasser's compatriot Cedric Hurel took care of that with the 15-year-old gelding Fantasio Floreval Z, a son of Bazooka de Hus and Clinton who was bred by Evelyne Pater and with whom Hurel also took ^5th place in the 1.50m class on Friday. Hurel and Fantasio Floreval Z managed to set the fastest barrage lap during this Grand Prix in 41.76 seconds, but because a fault also rolled out of the reels along the way, they ended up taking bronze instead of gold.

Furthermore, this CSI4* Grand Prix also saw success for the blood of our Zangersheide stallions thanks to Belgian rider Rik Hemeryck and the 11-year-old stallion Inoui du Seigneur, a breeding product of Marc Vanlangendonck who combined the blood of Jenson van 't Meulenhof Z with that of Aganix du Seigneur Z. Hemeryck and Inoui du Seigneur also saw a fault in that ten-strong jump-off and their finishing time of 43.91 seconds eventually earned them ^5th place in the standings.

On Saturday, Liechtenstein rider Jennifer Hochstadter managed to jump into the prizes with the 15-year-old gelding Winnetou de la Hamente Z, a son of Winningmood van de Arenberg and Socrate de Chrivre bred by Emmanuel Wera. During the 1.50m main class, Hochstadter and Winnetou de la Hamente Z had it flawless in both the basic round and the jump-off, with ^4th place as the final result.

The 1.50m class on Friday also saw Spanish rider Sira Martinez Cullell take ^4th place with the 10-year-old mare Pipper des Vergers Z, a daughter of Peppermill and Tatoche du Banney out of the breeding of Cindy van der Straten-Ponthoz. They too could not be faulted in both the basic round and the jump-off, reaching the finishing line in 47.65 seconds. Also in this Longines Ranking class was a ^6th place for Brazilian rider Pedro Veniss and the 10-year-old chestnut gelding Nimrod de Muze Z Imperio Egipcio, a son of Nabab de Rêve and Tinka's Boy who was then bred by Eric Polfliet. They also went clear twice, but needed 50.00 seconds to complete their jump-off.

Finally, we also saw two Z-horses in the prizes in the 1.45m class, which closed the day on Friday. These included a^2nd place for French rider Alexis Goulet with the 10-year-old mare Celine RBF Z (Cape Coral RBF Z x Corofino I - B: M. Coenen) and a ^5th place for Brazilian rider Karen Boos Pegler with the 11-year-old grey mare Baladay Z (Bamako de Muze x Cento - B: Jan De Visser).