Z-horses rule at top weekend in Oliva

While the indoor season is in full swing in most places in Europe, outdoor show jumping is still going on on Spanish soil these days. Indeed, at Oliva's Mediterranean Equestrian Tour, they are working on the third part of the Autumn Tour 2025 and the second week of this final tour was completely dominated by the Zangersheide horses last weekend! From the Longines Ranking Trials on Friday and Saturday to the CSI3* Grand Prix on Sunday, everywhere the top places coloured blue and yellow.

Under a radiant autumn sun, the CSI3* Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon was the absolute highlight of the weekend last weekend and it brought a total of fifty-nine combinations to the start. Of these, ten managed to clear the 1.50m base course run by French course designer Grégory Bodo and his team to secure a spot for the decisive jump-off. One of those 10 barrages were Irish rider Niall Talbot and the 10-year-old stallion Charming Dream Z, a son of Carrera VDL and Evli Cagliostro bred in the Netherlands by L.H.M. Sneijers. Talbot and Charming Dream Z also managed to keep their cool in the jump-off and with a finishing time of 39.40 seconds, they were more than half a second ahead of the rest of the field of competitors.

Nial Talbot: "I had scouted the jump-off course beforehand as it contained a few new obstacles and made my plan from there. The first line was from an oxer to a straight in nine canter passes, but because my horse has a big canter I knew I could do it in eight canter passes. I think I won the test there (laughs). Other than that, I just stuck to my plan and rode everything as tight as possible. Fortunately, that paid off. Charming has been jumping at top level all year and all summer he has always been close to a win. I'm glad we finally got one in this week!"

But the silver in this CSI3* Grand Prix was also taken by a Z-horse thanks to young Belgian rider Bart Jay Junior Vandecasteele and the also 10-year-old grey gelding Vamos de la Pomme d'Or Z, a son of Vigo d'Arsouilles and Ogano Sitte from the breeding farm of Patrick Huyse. Vandecasteele and Vamos de la Pomme d'Or Z also did not have a fault in the jump-off, but needed 40.10 seconds to finish their round successfully. French rider Michel Robert with the 11-year-old chestnut gelding Calasto Z (Calvaro Z x Stakkato - breeder: Hans Schipper) and his young compatriot Eden Leprevost Blinlebreton with Barbie de la Roque Z(Fastasy de la Roque Z - For Hero de Hus x Heartbreaker - breeder: Alexandrine Hecart) followed in ^5th and ^6th place respectively.

Besides the CSI3* Grand Prix, a second Longines Ranking Test was also on the programme in Oliva on Sunday. This took place at the Valencia Arena and in it Colombian rider Santiago Díaz Ortega jumped into the picture with the 10-year-old grey gelding Chasspleen Flamingo Z, son of Cardento VDL and Dollar du Murier bred in France by Alexandra Rantet. In both the^1st and^2nd phases, Díaz Ortega and Chasspleen Flamingo Z kept nicely clear and this performance earned them a handsome ^3rd place in the rankings.

As in the CSI3* Grand Prix on Sunday, both gold and silver went to a Z-horse in the 1.45m Longines Ranking Test on Saturday. The top prize this time went to Belgian rider Andres Vereecke with the 12-year-old chestnut mare Halima van het Bonte Hof Z, a daughter of Hos d'O and Heartbreaker from the breeding farm of Leen Braeckmans. Vereecke and Halima van het Bonte Hof Z, who were also good for ^5th place during the Longines Ranking Test on Friday, sped to the finish in 37.17 seconds in a ten-strong jump-off, outclassing the competition.

^2nd place went to Dutch rider Johnny Pals and the 14-year-old mare Zarkava Hero Z, an offspring of Zandor Z and Calvaro Z, who, as her name already suggested, was bred by Luc Henry. Pals and Zarkava Hero Z also provided a clear jump-off, crossing the finishing line in 37.43 seconds.

On Friday, a 1.45m Longines Ranking class was also on the programme in Oliva and in it too, victory was coloured blue and yellow. This time, it was Pals' compatriot Sanne Thijssen who was the strongest with the 8-year-old mare Farah Z, a breeding product of Freek Hogenboom who combined the blood of For Pleasure with that of Caretano Z. In a class against the clock, Thijssen and Farah Z raced to the finishing line in 62.60 seconds, just under two full seconds ahead of their nearest pursuer.