10 March '26
Verdini d'Houtveld Z and Scoop de Septon Z sign for wins in Ocala
© Andrew Ryback Photography
In the United States, not only the Winter Equestrian Festival of Wellington International was the scene of competition over the past few days, but also the World Equestrian Centre of Ocala, a little further away, was once again the scene of international show jumping. This time, during the tenth week of the Winter Spectacular Show Series, a three-star competition took place there, with some Z-horses once again producing great results and victories.
One of those Z-horses that jumped into the limelight in Ocala was the 15-year-old gelding Verdini d'Houtveld Z, a son of Verdi TN and Caretino bred by Xavier Van Melckenbeke. Verdini d'Houtveld Z has now been the absolute top horse of Australian rider Lauren Balcomb for over four years and that strong partnership was once again confirmed last weekend. After Balcomb and Verdini d'Houtveld Z jumped two clear rounds at the CSIO4* Nations Cup of Wellington the week before, this time they signed for victory in the 1.50m main class on Thursday afternoon. In a jump-off for which 16 combinations qualified, they again managed to complete a flawless round and with a finishing time of 34.11 seconds they were about a full second ahead of their closest competitor.
Lauren Balcomb: "Verdini is just incredibly fast over ground. He jumps so high, but when he lands, he has such tremendous speed. That's why he can go so fast and it allows him to make an extra gallop that other horses might not be able to. His consistency during this season has been truly phenomenal. The more he jumps, the better he gets in shape. He jumped fantastic in Wellington with two clear rounds in the Nations Cup and I feel we are really in a rhythm now. You just have to enjoy it as long as it goes well. His percentage of clear rounds is very impressive and he always tries so hard."
However, Lauren Balcomb and Verdini d'Houtveld Z were not the only ones to ensure a blue/yellow victory at Ocala's magnificent World Equestrian Centre. In the 1.45m class on Wednesday, it was Portuguese rider Luis Sabino Gonçalves who triumphed with his 12-year-old chestnut gelding Scoop de Septon Z (Hunters Scendro x Echo van 't Spieveld), bred by Elevage de Septon. In a class against the clock, Gonçalves and Scoop de Septon Z finished in a convincing 56.00 seconds, just under two full seconds ahead of the rest of the field of competitors.
With two top 10 finishes, it was also a successful competition in Ocala for Canadian rider Emma Irwin and her 9-year-old grey mare Cornetta SES Z (Cornet Obolensky x Carthago Z), bred in the Netherlands by Sidney Eras. Irwin and Cornetta SES Z started their competition on Wednesday with a 6th place in the 1.40m class, while they then took 8th place in the 1.45m class on Friday.
Finally, American rider Paris Sellon also stood out with the 10-year-old grey mare Calida Z (Cornet Obolensky x Carthago Z - breeder: J.R.J. Evenhuis & L.G. Morsink). During the 1.50m class on Thursday, they also provided a double clear performance, which finally earned them a nice 6th place.