05 November '25
Zangersheide colours rule in the CSI3* Valencia Grand Prix
© Moura Tours in Valencia
Last weekend's international competitions on Spanish soil were a great success for our blue/yellow colours of Zangersheide! At the Andalucía Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera, there was already the victory of Pedro Veniss with Nimrod de Muze Imperio Egipcio in the CSI4* Grand Prix, but a little further on at the Moura Tour in Valencia, things got even more special! There, during the CSI3* Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon, the entire podium was tinged blue/yellow!
A little after 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon in Valencia, the starting gun was fired for this apotheosis of the weekend, in which a total of forty-three combinations made their appearance. The 1.50m high base course proved to be a particularly challenging task, with no fewer than nine combinations deciding to abandon the battle early. That also meant that in the end only three combinations managed to advance to the ultimate jump-off. In it, the top prize went to Belgian rider Constant van Paesschen and the 11-year-old mare Kannavara Z, a daughter of Kannan and Contender from the breeding farm of Dave Blyau and with whom van Paesschen was also good for2nd place in the 1.45m Grand Prix Qualifier on Thursday. The successful duo may have seen a fault in the jump-off of the Grand Prix, but as no one managed to clear the jump-off, their finishing time of 45.41 seconds was still enough to claim victory!
The silver then got a blue/yellow touch thanks to Danish rider Rikke Belinda Barker and her 13-year-old stallion Tabalou PS, a son of Taloubet Z and Balou du Rouet bred in Germany by Paul Schockemöhle. Barker and Tabalou PS also ran into 4 penalties in that jump-off, but needed 45.23 seconds to reach the finishing line.
3rd place in this CSI3* Grand Prix went to Frenchman Julien Anquetin and the 12-year-old gelding Beau de Laubry Z, a son of Bisquet Balou de Mispelaere and Nabab de Rêve who was bred by the Haelterman family and whom Anquetin recently acquired from his compatriot Kevin Staut. They experienced some bad luck in the jump-off and so had to settle for bronze.
Before the start of this CSI3* Grand Prix, a 1.45m class also took place for the riders of the three-star competition, in which a Z-horse also managed to shine on the podium. That honour went to British rider Chloé Winchester with the 8-year-old mare Exited Z, a daughter of E Star and Toulon who was bred in the Netherlands by Everse Stables. In a class against the clock, they sped to the finishing line in 67.47 seconds, securing 3rd place. For Chinese rider Yanhe You and the 12-year-old grey gelding Z Ice Cube Z (Zacharov TN x Casco - Breeder: P.J. Amendt) there was a 6th place in this class. They managed to stop the clock in 67.47 seconds after a flawless round.
A day earlier on Saturday, the main class of the day was the 1.40m Medium Tour and some Z-horses were also successful in this. Thus, 4th place went to Constant van Paesschen with the 9-year-old gelding Kandico de Paep Z (Kaiser van het Lambroeck x Contender) from the De Belie - Blanckaert breeding farm. In a jump-off for which seven combinations managed to qualify, van Paesschen and Kandico de Paep Z managed to put the second fastest time on the scoreboard in 38.24 seconds, but a jumping fault along the way finally relegated them to 4th place. In doing so, they did just one place better than British rider Lily Attwood and her 15-year-old gelding Cor-Leon Vd Vlierbeek Z (Calvaro F.C. x Omar) from breeders Chris Anné and Eva De Meyer van de Vlierbeek NV. They also left the ring in the jump-off with a total of four penalties, but had reached the finish line in 40.82 seconds.
In the 1.45m Longines Ranking class on Friday, it was Irish rider Alexander Butler who ensured blue/yellow success with the 9-year-old mare Tequila des Sequoias Z, a daughter of Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve and Saccor bred by Elevage Des Séquoias. In both the basic round and the jump-off, they managed to ensure a flawless performance, finishing in 5th place.
Finally, Luxembourg rider Victor Bettendorf with the 14-year-old mare Cancun Torel Z (Cosinhus x Grannus - Breeder: François Xavier Guyard) and Italian rider Andrea Messersi with the also 14-year-old Virocondo Z (Va-Vite x Lys de Darmen - Breeder: Jos Ceulemans & Britt Vanluijten) also managed to jump into the prizes in Valencia. For Bettendorf and Cancun Torel Z that was with a 4th place in the 1.40m class on Friday, while Messersi and Virocondo Z then claimed 6th place in the 1.40m class on Friday.