Strong weekend for Tequila des Séquoias Z in Kronenberg

Last weekend much of our attention went to the European Championships Jumping in A Coruña (Spain) and our own Z-festival in Lanaken (Spain), but of course there were also many other international shows. In the Netherlands, for example, there was another international show jumping competition at the Peelbergen Equestrian Centre in Kronenberg, where some Z-horses once again managed to give their best.

One of those Z-horses that managed to jump into the limelight was the 9-year-old chestnut mare Tequila des Séquoias Z, a daughter of Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve and Saccor bred by Elevage des Séquoias. Tequila des Séquoias Z has been a combination with Irish rider Alexander Butler since last year and together they managed to secure two top placings in Kronenberg last weekend. After an excellent start on Thursday's opening day with a great^2nd place in the 1.40m Medium Tour, they did even better on Saturday, winning the 1.45m Medium Tour final. In a jump-off for which seventeen combinations managed to qualify, Butler and Tequila des Séquoias Z once again managed to ensure a flawless performance and with a finishing time of 33.86 seconds they were more than half a second ahead of the rest of the field.

On Saturday during the final day, the CSI2* Grand Prix was of course the absolute highlight of the day and in it German rider Michael Jung ensured a great result with the 8-year-old gelding Fischerheros Z, a son of Hotspot and Odermus who was born to his breeder Peter Hofman as Heros vd Windelsteen Z. Jung and Fischerheros Z stayed clear in the 1.45m basic round and were among the 11 combinations who managed to advance to the jump-off. There they again did not have a fault and this performance earned them a great ^6th place in the rankings.

Also on Sunday, there was a 1.40m class on the programme in Kronenberg, in which American rider Madison Wu secured a top 5 ranking with the 10-year-old mare Corona Z, a breeding product of Huub Janssen who combined the blood of our chestnut stallion Comilfo Plus Z with that of Calvaro F.C.. In both the^1st and^2nd phases, they left all obstacles untouched and a finishing time of 31.38 seconds was finally good for ^4th place.

With a ^6th place in the standings, French rider Lara Tryba also managed to place in this class with the 13-year-old grey gelding Memphis Z, a son of Mylord Carthago and Candillo Z from the breeding farm of Freek Hoogenboom and with whom Tryba also scored a ^10th place in the 1.35m class the day before. They also provided a double clear round in this 1.40m class, but needed 31.90 seconds to complete their^2nd phase.

Then, in the 1.45m Grand Prix Qualifier on Friday, Canadian rider Kimberly Martens Winsingh and the 10-year-old gelding Coridor JT Z, a son of Cornet Obolensky and Zandor Z bred by Johan Thijs, were in the lead again. In a class against the clock, Martens Winsingh and Coridor JT Z sped to the finishing line in 64.35 seconds, seizing^2nd place in the standings.

In ^4th place we saw Belgian rider Alexander Housen and his 9-year-old gelding De Strooper Jul de Rock 1 Z, the son of Dominator 2000 Z and C'Est-Lui Z bred by the Exelmans-Laevers duo, with whom Housen had also put in a strong performance at Sentower Park the week before. Housen and De Strooper Jul de Rock 1 Z also jumped a rock-solid round, crossing the finish line in 65.28 seconds.

Finally, Belgian rider Wilm Vermeir also had another successful weekend with his 10-year-old homebred stallion Top Invest 313 Z, a son of Thunder van de Zuuthoeve and Concorde. Vermeir and Top Invest 313 Z made a first appearance on Friday with a ^3rd place in the 1.35m class, and a day later they took the prizes again when they claimed ^8th place in the 1.40m class.