23 September '25
New Grand Prix success for Bisquetta
© Sportfot
Last weekend no less than three five-star competitions were scheduled worldwide, making it a busy period at the very highest level. One of the eye-catchers was the competition at the Gassin Polo Club in St Tropez, France, which hosted the fourth and final stage of the Longines League of Nations. There, the mare Bisquetta once again managed to secure a top ranking.
On Sunday in St. Tropez it was looking forward to the Longines League of Nations, but on Friday all eyes were already on the CSIO5* Grand Prix. That was built at a height of 1.60m and ran over two rounds, with the best 13 combinations from the first round qualifying for a second round. One of the combinations who managed to join that group was US rider Laura Kraut and her 11-year-old top mare Bisquetta, a daughter of Bisquet Balou C van de Mispelaere and Takashi van Berkenbroeck who was born to breeder Claire McCarthy-Winters as Bisquetta Squalls Estate Z. Kraut and Bisquetta, who last month impressively won the CSIO5* Dublin Grand Prix, again showed their class, as they did not make a mistake in either round. In the decisive round, they crossed the finish line in 41.76 seconds, securing 3rd place and another top ranking.
Also on Friday, a 1.50m class took place for the riders of the five-star competition, in which no fewer than two Z-horses shone on the podium. These included a2nd place for Brazilian rider Pedro Veniss and the 14-year-old chestnut gelding Nimrod de Muze Imperio Egipcio (Nabab de Rêve x Tinka's Boy - Breeder: Eric Polfliet). In a class against the clock, Veniss and Nimrod de Muze Imperio Egipcio finished in 66.80 seconds, thirty-three hundredths of a second short of victory.
In 3rd place in this class was Frenchwoman Megane Moissonnier and the 9-year-old stallion Kandoo Z (Kannan x Level Z - Breeder: Hilary Parren). They too provided a flawless performance, but needed 68.27 seconds to complete their round.
During the opening day on Thursday, the Moissonniers' compatriot Simon Delestre managed to jump straight into the spotlight with his 12-year-old gelding Dexter Fontenis Z (Diarado x Voltaire - Breeder: S-Ky Horses S.C.R.I.). Delestre and Dexter Fontenis Z made their appearance in the 1.45m opening class, in which they secured2nd place after keeping neatly clear in both the1st and2nd stages.
Two-star competition
Besides the five-star competition, last weekend in St. Tropez there was also jumping at two-star level, and in this too there were successes for our pedigree colours. On Thursday, for example, the opening day saw an immediate victory for the fast Luxembourg rider Victor Bettendorf and the 10-year-old chestnut mare Eytuka Of Two Notes Z, a daughter of Emerald van 't Ruytershof and Chin Chin who was bred by Toby Huys. In the 1.45m Big Tour they finished in 70.16 seconds, keeping competition at bay and taking the top prize. A day later, Bettendorf and Eytuka Of Two Notes Z also confirmed this performance when they took 3rd place in a second 1.45m class.
Another victory within the two-star competition came in the name of French rider Dan Eschmann and the 9-year-old stallion Chaccotino Z, a son of Chacco Blue and Caretino from the Henri Combes breeding farm. Eschmann and Chaccotino Z, who started their competition on Thursday with 3rd place in the 1.35m class, became the final laureates of the 1.40m class on Friday, where they were just under two full seconds ahead of the rest of the field of competitors with a clear round in 62.38 seconds.
But2nd place in this section also coloured blue and yellow thanks to reigning European Champion Richard Vogel and the 10-year-old stallion Taj Mahal (ex Etoile van de Neerheide Z - Emerald van 't Ruytershof x Quannan R - Breeder: Eric Van Giel). The German and Taj Mahal also produced a flawless round, but with a finishing time of 64.23 seconds they clearly had to take second place to Eschmann and Chaccotino Z.
In addition, French rider Lucas Fournier also managed another victory with the 11-year-old mare Cyranan Z, a breeding product of Joy Gobessi and Francesca Najem who combined the blood of Cyrano du Ruisseau Z with that of Heartbreaker. Fournier and Cyranan Z were the winners of the 1.40m class on Sunday, where a tight ride put them almost one and a half seconds ahead of the competition.
Finally, it was also a successful weekend in St Tropez for Fournier's compatriot Michel Robert and the 10-year-old chestnut gelding Calasto Z (Calvaro F.C. x Stakkato - Breeder: Hans Schipper). Robert and Calasto Z made their first appearance on Friday with a 6th place during the 1.45m Longines Ranking Test, while on Sunday they closed with 10th place during the CSI2* Grand Prix.