Ti Amo B Z secures Grand Prix gold in Samorin

Last weekend, much attention was focused on the five-star shows in Dublin and London, but of course there were also plenty of other international shows on the programme. In Slovakia, for instance, all eyes were on the three-star Riders & Dreams show in Samorin, where a Z-class horse stole the show during the CSI3* Grand Prix.

At 2.00 pm sharp on Sunday afternoon, the CSI3* Grand Prix got underway at the magnificent X-Bionic Sphere complex, with a total of forty-two rider-horse pairs taking to the arena. Of these, nine managed to complete the first round without any faults, thereby securing a place in the decisive jump-off. After a thrilling finale, it was the Irish rider Alexander Butler who claimed victory with the 15-year-old grey gelding Ti Amo B Z, a son of Tolan R and Chellano Z, bred in the Netherlands by L.C.J. Berben and J.L.J. Berben. Butler and Ti Amo B Z, who had also finished^7th on Friday in the qualifier for this Grand Prix, clocked 44.86 seconds after a clear-round jump-off, giving them a lead of eight hundredths of a second over the runner-up in the standings.

However, Alexander Butler and Ti Amo B Z were not the only ones to secure a blue-and-yellow victory in Samorin. For instance, the Hungarian rider Rodrigo Szuhai secured two victories with the 10-year-old chestnut mare For Lexcis Z, a daughter of For Pleasure and Vigo d’Arsouilles, bred by F. van Och. Both in the 1.30m class on Thursday and in the 1.35m class on Sunday morning, they emerged as the strongest combination and managed to hold off the competition.

On Friday, German rider Tom Schewe also secured a gold medal with the equally 10-year-old chestnut gelding Aaron Z, a son of our stallion Aganix du Seigneur Z and Pablo van Berkenbroeck, who was born at the stud farm of Jack Van Mierlo. Schewe and Aaron Z were the overall winners of the 1.40m class, where, with a clear-round^second phase in 30.98 seconds, they finished just under a second ahead of the rest of the field.

The bronze in this 1.40m class was claimed by the Polish rider Krzysztof Ludwiczak and the 8-year-old chestnut stallion Uriel Du Sartiau Z, a son of Untouchable and Cornet Obolensky, bred by Stephanie Daubresse. They too managed to keep both rounds perfectly clear, but took 31.90 seconds to complete their^second round.

During the second part of this 1.40m class on Friday, it was the Dutch rider Mans Thijssen who secured victory with the 11-year-old gelding Nero Z, a home-bred horse from Stal Meulendijks in the Netherlands, combining the bloodlines of Numero Uno and Lupicor. A clear-round^second phase in 31.70 seconds also earned them a fine^third place in the rankings.

Furthermore, Thijssen’s compatriot Vincent Voorn also secured a podium place with the 10-year-old mare Eowyn De Goedereede Z, a daughter of Elvis Ter Putte and Nabab de Rêve from the De Goedereede BVBA stud. Among other events, they competed in the 1.50m class on Thursday, where they also secured^third place after a clear round in^{the second} phase in 33.64 seconds.

Furthermore, Swiss rider Jason Smith was also among the prize-winners in this day’s main class with the 9-year-old chestnut stallion One And Only Eda Z (Ogano Sitte x Cherubin van de Helle – breeder: Pascal Rigaud). After a clear round in^{the second} phase, they crossed the line in 37.61 seconds, which was enough for^fifth place in the rankings.

Last but not least, German rider Cédric Wolf also managed to secure a place in the prize-winners’ circle with the 15-year-old gelding Capitano Z (Cornado NRW x Lordanos – breeder: Charlotte Peeters). During Saturday’s 1.45m speed class, they produced a clear round, which also earned them a fine^5th place.