Cazan Z secures bronze in the CSI4* Grand Prix of Montefalco

There were particularly busy days on Italian soil last weekend. While the very first edition of the Longines Versilia Horse Show in Lido Di Camaiore provided the necessary spectacle, four-star level show jumping was also taking place in the heart of Umbria at the Le Lame Horses Sporting Club of Montefalco. There the CSI4* Grand Prix was held on Sunday afternoon and here too our blue/yellow colours helped colour the podium.

Indeed, ^3rd place at this CSI4* Grand Prix was reserved for Israeli rider Theodore Boris and the 10-year-old chestnut stallion Cazan Z, a son of Comme Il Faut and Vagabond de la Pomme who was given the birth name Cazan van het Schaeck Z by breeder Perry De Winter. Boris and Cazan Z stayed clear in the first round and were thus among the eight combinations who managed to advance to the decisive jump-off. In it, they again managed to leave all obstacles untouched and with a finishing time of 43.40 seconds they thus secured a place on the Grand Prix podium.

With their ^3rd place, Boris and Cazan Z did just a little better than Swedish rider Erica Swartz and her 11-year-old home-bred gelding Cavicii Z, a son of Carlow van de Helle combined with the blood of VDL Cardento. Swartz and Cavicii Z finished in 44.20 seconds after a clear jump-off, leaving them just off the podium in ^4th place. For French rider Elisa Chimirri and the 13-year-old grey stallion Calandro Z (Calato Z x Sandro Boy - B: Tim Holford), ^8th place was in this Grand Prix. They too kept it neatly clear twice.

Earlier on Sunday there was also a 1.45m class for the CSI4* competition in which the victory was blue and yellow. It was Italian rider Lorenzo Correddu who took the win with the 13-year-old gelding Sensation DV Z, a son of Hunter's Scendix out of none other than Claire Z (Clearway), the former Grand Prix mare ridden by Belgian rider Pieter Devos. Correddu and Sensation DV Z kept nicely clear in both the^1st and^2nd phases and with a chrono time of 25.06 seconds, they were more than two full seconds ahead of the rest of the field of competitors.

Silver in this class went to American rider Paris Sellon and her 9-year-old grey mare Calida Z, a daughter of Cornet Obolensky and Carthago Z bred in the Netherlands by J.R.J Evenhuis and L.G. Morsink. Sellon and Calida Z, who were also good for ^5th place in the 1.40m class on Thursday, also made no mistake, but with a finishing time of 27.19 seconds they were clearly outclassed by Correddu and Sensation DV Z.

Saturday also saw another Z victory thanks to British rider James Smith and the 8-year-old mare Astrade Z, a daughter of Air Jordan Z and Indoctro from the Borst Stables breeding farm in the Netherlands. During the 1.35m speed class, they sped to the finish in 56.66 seconds, just under half a second ahead of the competition.

Also on Saturday, British rider Chloe Aston then managed to secure another podium place with the 8-year-old stallion Diatendro Von Rocherath Z, a son of Diamant de Semilly and Contendro I bred by Edgar stoffels. In the 1.40m class with winning round, Aston and Diatendro Von Rocherath Z twice ensured a flawless round, which finally earned them ^3rd place in the standings.

In the 1.50m main class on Friday, it was Luxembourg rider Basile Bettendorf who managed to ensure success with the 10-year-old stallion Conquerant R Z, a breeding product of Thijs Roumen who combined the blood of Cornet Obolensky with that of Hors La Loi II. In a jump-off for which 11 combinations managed to qualify, they once again left all the rails in the reels, with ^4th place as the final result.

Then on Thursday there was another podium place for Italian rider Gabriele Grassi with the 8-year-old mare Doha Dell Oxer Z, a daughter of Diamant de Semilly and Clinton bred by Spephanie Marianeschi. In the 1.40m class against the clock, they left all obstacles untouched and with this performance they took^2nd place.

Furthermore, Grassi's compatriot Francesca Urbini managed to place twice more in Montefalco with the 14-year-old stallion Calhel Z, a son of Clinton and Rebel Z II from the breeding farm of Andrea Caprara in France. Urbini and Calhel Z started their competition on Thursday with a ^10th place in the 1.45m class and two days later they managed to secure another ^6th place during another 1.45m.