14 January '26
Django Z triumphs in the Belgian Stallion Competition
/
Studbook
© Paardenfotograaf
A lot of attention in recent days for the various international competitions, but an important event also took place at national level last weekend. On Sunday, the Hazebroek family at the Azelhof in Lier kicked off a new edition of the Belgian Stallion Competition, in which no fewer than 235 stallions in all age categories made their appearance in the ring. This first stage of the new season was a direct hit for our blue and yellow colours of Zangersheide, with Django Z claiming an absolute starring role.
After the first round for the four- and five-year-old stallions, in which respectively thirty-eight and sixty-one combinations achieved a clear round, it was the turn of the six-year-old stallions to enter the ring at the Azelhof around 3.30pm. Limburg rider Alexander Housen has recently joined our team and he brought three of our upcoming talents to the start in the six-year-old stallions. One of them was the bay stallion Django Z, the impressively jumping son of Dourkhan Hero Z out of a Captain Fire dam. Housen and Django Z appeared at the start as the very last combination and in doing so they produced a fantastic performance! Both in the 1st and 2nd phase, they managed to put down a flawless round and after a whirlwind finishing time of 28.69 seconds, they wrote this first round on their record with more than one and a half seconds ahead!
Alexander Housen: "Django Z is a very complete stallion. Extremely fast, he has a lot of scope and a very good character. A very fine and athletic stallion who has everything to take it far in sport and breeding."
Besides Django Z, Housen also appeared in the ring with two other Zangersheide stallions, including Devil 2000 Z, the son of Dominator 2000 Z and Chin Chin who was born to breeder Tony Foriers. Devil 2000 Z immediately impressed the audience with his light-footed way of jumping and after a clear 2nd phase in 33.53 seconds Housen and Devil 2000 Z secured 15th place. Our home-bred chestnut stallion Ambassador Z (Aganix du Seigneur Z x Rubens du Ri d'Asse d'96) also showed his qualities during this first round, but a fault in the first part of the course unfortunately kept him out of the decisive 2nd phase.
Integral blue/yellow stage
The victory of Alexander Housen and Django Z was of course the absolute highlight of the weekend, but the other podium places in the six-year-old stallions were also taken by Z-bred stallions. Thus silver was reserved for Yarno Geeroms and the stallion Prince Cute de Muze Z, a son of Pegasus van 't Ruytershof and Bamako de Muze from the breeding of Joris De Brabander and a grandson of the Grand Prix mare Call Me de Muze Z (Clarissimo Z). Geeroms and Prince Cute de Muze Z, after a clear 2nd phase in 30.26 seconds, seemed to be on their way to victory for a long time, until Housen and Django Z made a final appearance in the ring...
Third place went to Pieter Van Den Bergh and the stallion Divinus van de Kapel Z, also a son of Dourkhan Hero Z and this in combination with Bentley van de Kapel. Van Den Bergh and Divinus van de Kapel Z, who was born and raised at the home of the Van Den Bergh family, crossed the finish line in 30.29 seconds in the 2nd phase, ensuring an integral blue/yellow podium. Then there was another 5th place for Jeroen De Winter and the chestnut stallion Excelsior Optimus Z (Ermitage Kalone x Bamako de Muze - breeder: Optimus Agro).
Finally, there was also a top ranking in the seven-year-old stallion category. 5th place went to Dries Dekkers and the stallion El Bandito BPH Z, a son of Etoile van de Neerheide and Kannan bred by BPH Stables. They too did not make a mistake twice.