19 August '26
Tobago Z-zoon is crowned Belgian Champion among 6-year-old horses
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Studbook
© Paardenfotograaf
The Belgian Championships for young horses in Gesves have once again proved a great success for our blue and yellow colours at Studbook Zangersheide. After nine Z-class horses had already secured the national title in the 4-year-old class on Sunday morning, further impressive results followed later in the day in the 5- and 6-year-old classes. Just like last year, we were able to celebrate three medals, although this time they were distributed differently: in addition to a bronze medal, there was gold for a Z-class horse in both the 5-year-old and 6-year-old categories.
The final for the 6-year-old horses on Sunday afternoon marked the climax of an exciting Belgian Championship for young horses and saw a total of thirty-nine pairs take to the arena, all of whom had qualified earlier in the week. Of those thirty-nine combinations, nine ultimately managed to complete the basic round designed by course designer Bernard Mathy and his team without any faults, thereby securing their place in the ultimate jump-off.
In a jump-off that was fiercely contested, it was ultimately the Belgian rider Nick Bossaerts who narrowly claimed the title of Belgian Champion with the gelding Thor Davidshof Z, a son of our stallion Tobago Z and Quicky de Kreisker, bred by David Steven. Bossaerts and Thor Davidshof Z raced to the finish line in that final round in 39.40 seconds, giving them a lead of just one hundredth of a second over the runner-up.
Thor Davidshof Z was not, however, the only Z-horse to win a medal in this final for 6-year-olds, as the bronze medal also bore the blue and yellow colours. It was Nick’s brother, Stef Bossaert, who claimedthird place with the gelding Dax van de Litzemaere Z, a son of Diamant de Semilly and Hamlet, born at the stud of Martine Gils. Bossaerts and Dax van de Litzemaere Z clocked a winning time of 39.13 seconds, but a fault along the way ultimately cost them the gold medal.
Just missing out on the podium was rider Virginie Thonon with the stallion Edo De Will Z, a breeding product of EURL C Eole that combined the bloodlines of Emerald van ’t Ruytershof with those of Asca Z. Thonon and Edo De Will Z also saw a bar fall in the jump-off, clocking a time of 40.06 seconds. Matthias Hens and the gelding Champion De Bourguignon Z (Catoki Z x Quasimodo van de Molendreef – breeder: Piet Bourguignon) finished in5th place. They crossed the line in 40.48 seconds with four penalty points.
Double gold
Before this final began, the 5-year-old horses had also completed their decisive competition in this Belgian Championship, and there too the gold was won by a Z-class horse. A total of 52 pairs qualified for this final, thirteen of whom successfully completed the first round. In this year’s decisive second round, the jump-off was not timed against the clock, but based on an ideal time set in advance by Bernard Mathy and his team. The gold was ultimately shared by two pairs, including the young rider Aurelia Guisson on the stallion Contigo van het Legitahof Z, a son of Comme Il Faut and Nabab de Rêve who was born and reared at the Guisson family home. Guisson and Contigo van het Legitahof Z finished in 44.63 seconds, just 37 hundredths of a second off the ideal time of 45 seconds.
Furthermore, the Belgian rider Arnaud Doem also managed to reach the top of the rankings with the stallion Tornero du Vinave D’Amertile Z, a son of Touardo Blue Z and Calvaro Z, bred by Amertile Horses Training. They tookfourth place with a round of 45.95 seconds.