Two in a row for Vandecasteele and Lotti Blue Z

Belgian rider Bart Jay Junior Vandecasteele and his stallion Lotti Blue Z are in top form at the moment and they confirmed this once again last weekend! A week after they were already the best in the Grand Prix for Young Riders at the international junior competition in Sentower Park, they continued their good run the past few days and also became the overall winners at the CSI2* Grand Prix of Bonheiden.

After the Azelhof in Lier and Sentower Park in Opglabbeek the past few weeks, the new outdoor international season officially got underway at Jumping Bonheiden last weekend as well. With a win in the CSI2* Grand Prix on Sunday, the leading role was again reserved for Bart Jay Junior Vandecasteele and his 10-year-old stallion Lotti Blue Z, a son of Le Blue Diamond van 't Ruytershof and Wandor van de Mispelaere bred by Alfons Van Bruyssel. Vandecasteele and Lotti Blue Z were one of nineteen combinations who managed to finish the 1.45m basic round successfully and thus advance to the decisive jump-off. There they managed to repeat the flawless performance from the first round and with a finishing time of 34.58 seconds they had another Grand Prix victory.

Also in this Grand Prix, Niels Bruynseels provided a strong result with the 10-year-old mare Devidanga SW Z, a daughter of Dominator 2000 Z and Numero Uno born in the Netherlands to the Zijlstra family. Bruynseels and Devidanga SW Z also provided a clear jump-off and with a finishing time of 35.98 seconds they stranded just next to the podium in ^4th place.

Besides the CSI2* Grand Prix on Sunday, the Longines Ranking Test on Friday afternoon in Bonheiden also had a Z-horse at the top of the rankings. That honour went to Belgian rider Tim Prouvé and the 12-year-old chestnut mare Ackila DV Z, a daughter of Aktion Pur Z and Gotspe Z born at the home of the Devos family. In a jump-off for which no fewer than twenty-three combinations qualified, Prouvé and Ackila DV Z made it to the finish line in 35.65 seconds, finally two hundredths of a second ahead of the competition. During the Grand Prix, they also confirmed this performance by claiming ^5th place in the rankings.

On Friday, Polish rider Przemyslaw Konopacki also managed to secure a victory with the also 12-year-old stallion Pure Passion From Second Life Z, a son of Picasso Z and Calato Z from the breeding farm of Thierry Hendrikx and Sandra Naviaux of Second Life Stables. Konopacki and Pure Passion From Second Life Z triumphed in the 1.40m class, where they were more than half a second ahead of their closest pursuer with a clear^2nd phase in 26.83 seconds. Moreover, on Saturday evening Konopacki and Pure Passion From Second Life Z were back on the rendezvous, when they then secured a fine ^3rd place during the 1.40m Final.

During that 1.40m Final on Saturday evening, Belgian rider Zara Poels also made it into the top 5 of the standings with the 8-year-old grey mare Claire Z (Cornet Obolensky x Casall ASK - breeder: M. van der Bruggen). In both the basic round and the jump-off, they provided a flawless performance, finishing in ^4th place.

With two placings, it was also a successful competition in Bonheiden for Egyptian rider Ahmed Naser Einaggar and the 13-year-old stallion Zwiebertje Ncs Z (H&M Zilverstar T x Andiamo Z - breeder: M. Dekker). They made their first appearance on Friday with a ^4th place in the 1.40m class, while a day later they took ^3rd place in the 1.35m class.

Finally, there were also two combinations who took^2nd place during the opening day on Thursday. For Colombian Farid Alejandro Hernandez Herrera and the 11-year-old chestnut mare Eytuka Of Two Notes Z (Emerald van 't Ruytershof x Chin Chin - breeder: Toby Huys), it was during the 1.35m class, while Dutchman Gert Jan Brugging and the 9-year-old stallion Fellow De Will Z (For Pleasure x Catoki - breeder: EURL C. Eole) took their silver podium place during the 1.40m class.