Unaki de Bornival Z secures top five finish in CSI3* Grand Prix of Le Touquet

While the east of France enjoyed the four-star competition of Bourg-en-Bresse last weekend, the north of the country saw three-star level jumping in Le Touquet. There too, several Z-horses managed to jump into the limelight, including a top 5 placing in the CSI3* Grand Prix.

The three-star competition of Le Touquet Classic is considered one of the events of the famous Grand Prix Events and, like many other competitions, it was Grand Prix-time on Sunday afternoon. A total of sixty combinations filled the starting list there and, of those, no fewer than eighteen managed to secure a place for the ultimate jump-off. One of those eighteen who made it through the 1.50m basic round were Belgian rider Constant van Paesschen and the 9-year-old grey mare Unaki de Bornival Z, a daughter of Untouchable and Catoki bred by GS Stables and D. Stalpaert. Van Paesschen and Unaki de Bornival Z, still good for silver in the CSI3* Grand Prix of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates in February, also managed to keep zero on the scoreboard in the jump-off and with a finishing time of 40.20 seconds they just secured a place in the top five of the standings.

Also in the top ten of the standings we saw home rider Titouan Schumacher and the 11-year-old grey stallion Corsini vd Keihill Z (Cornet Obolensky x Cassini I), who was born in the Netherlands to breeder Peter Bakkers of Keihill Stables. Schumacher and Corsini vd Keihill Z, who had already secured ^7th place in the 1.50m qualifier for this Grand Prix on Friday, saw a bar roll out of the scoops in their haste, giving them ^10th place overall.

Besides the Grand Prix, there was also a 1.40m class on Sunday for the three-star competition, in which a Z-horse managed to shine in the top three of the rankings. The bronze went to Emirati Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi and the 8-year-old mare Biarritz Z, a daughter of Brunetti Z and Campione Z, who was born at Zangersheide Stud. Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi and Biarritz Z did not make a mistake in this speed class, managing to stop the clock in 71.09 seconds.

On Saturday afternoon, van Paesschens' compatriot Christophe Vanderhasselt was able to ensure blue/yellow success with the 9-year-old mare Axxess Pur Z, a breeding product of Elke Luyten who combined the blood of Aktion Pur Z with that of Sam R. Vanderhasselt and Axxess Pur Z appeared at the start in the 1.45m main class, where they were one of seventeen combinations to qualify for the jump-off. In it, they managed to repeat that flawless performance, which finally earned them^2nd place in the standings.

The 1.50m Grand Prix Qualifier on Friday also saw Irish rider Max Wachman and the 11-year-old stallion Kannem J.A. Z (Kannan x Lux Z), bred by Jean-André Souevereyns, finish in^2nd place. Wachman and Kannem J.A. Z, who have already amassed a fine record over the past few months, were one of 15 combinations to qualify for the jump-off and with a clear round in 44.34 seconds, they ended up ten hundredths of a second short of claiming the top prize. Then, for British rider Matthew Sampson and the also 11-year-old gelding Un Secreto Z (Ultra Boy x Arko III - breeder: Finca Horses BV), there was a ^5th place in this Grand Prix. It took them 45.91 seconds to complete their barrage round.

Also on Friday, two offspring of our black pearl Dominator 2000 Z also managed to jump into the prizes. In the Grand Prix Qualifier, the Dutchman Lars Kersten and the 9-year-old stallion Dynamite Dillo Z (Dominator 2000 Z x Lord Caletto - breeder: Peter Nagel-Tornau) finished in ^6th place, while Belgian rider Emilie Conter and the 8-year-old stallion Domperignon Pommex Z (Dominator 2000 Z x Kannan - breeder: Haras de la Pomme & Stephex Stables) secured ^8th place in the 1.40m class earlier in the day.

Last but not least, there was also success in Le Touquet for an offspring of our new trump card Cashpaid J&F Z. In the 1.45m class on Thursday, Belgian rider Nathan Budd jumped to ^8th place with the 8-year-old chestnut mare Close Call NH Z (Cashpaid J&F Z x President - breeder: Jolien Devos).