27 October '25
Trés Bien Z shines in the capital of the US
© Shawn McMillen Photography
On European soil, there were no five-star competitions on the calendar last weekend, but on the other side of the ocean there was once again competition at the highest level. The American capital Washington hosted the second stage of the World Cup in the North American League, in which a Z-horse claimed the absolute leading role.
The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup - President's Cup Grand Prix formed the impressive apotheosis of the Washington International Horse Show on Saturday evening, bringing a total of thirty-one combinations to the start. American course designer Nick Granat had laid out a challenging but fair course, in which eight combinations eventually went clear, qualifying for the decisive jump-off. Among them were top American amazon Laura Kraut and her 10-year-old gelding Trés Bien Z, a son of Toulon and Nabab de Rêve, bred in the Netherlands by S.T. Dingen. Kraut and Trés Bien Z, who also achieved eighth place in the 1.50m Speed & Handiness class on Thursday, were the fourth combination to start in the jump-off and managed to be the first combination to ensure a clear round. In doing so, they crossed the finish line in 40.83 seconds, a performance that no one was able to top!
Laura Kraut : "I didn't think seven gallops was possible between obstacle two and three, but Lillie Keenan did it right in front of me, so I thought, 'I'll see how I get over obstacle two and take my chances.' He got wings doing that, because the distance on obstacle three was really big. I actually still can't believe it worked! After that, I just went as fast as I could with him. He is a very handy horse and that was also one of the reasons why I thought he would do so well indoors. He always gives himself 100 per cent."
Besides Laura Kraut and Trés Bien Z, Belgian rider Abdel Saïd and the also 10-year-old gelding Quaker Brimbelles Z (Quicksilver St. Simeon x Hickstead - Breeder: Haras des Brimbelles) were among the combinations that managed to advance to the jump-off. They were the first to do so, but saw a fault in their haste. In doing so, they finished in 41.55 seconds, giving them 6th place in the final ranking.
On Thursday during the opening day of the international programme, Irish rider Daniel Coyle made himself heard again with his 15-year-old top mare Legacy, the daughter of Chippendale Z and Bon Ami who was born Chavantele Z to breeder Romain Rotty. In the 1.50m Speed & Handiness class, the successful duo produced a flawless performance, also securing 6th place in the rankings.