06 juin '23
Romeo 88 jumps onto the GP podium in St. Gallen
© Longines CSIO St. Gallan
Next to the 5th leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour in the sunny St. Tropez, a second five-star show took place last weekend with the CSIO5* of St. Gallan in Switzerland. Here too there was also Zangersheide success during the CSIO5* GP with a podium place for the British rider Harry Charles and his 14-year-old stallion Romeo 88, a son of PKZ Contact van de Heffinck and Orlando who was born at the home of breeder Picobello Horses as Champion Of Picobello Z and who is also approved for Studbook Zangersheide. Charles and Romeo 88 were one of the 4 combinations that managed to keep it clear in both the first and the second and decisive round. In that second round they finished in 45.28 seconds and with that performance they secured a 3rd place in the ranking.
Still, the victory here also got a blue/yellow touch thanks to the Dutch rider Harrie Smolders and his 11-year-old stallion Uricas V.D. Kattevennen (Uriko x Cassini I – F: BVBA Spronken), who is also approved for Studbook Zangersheide. As penultimate combinations at the start, Smolders and Uricas V.D. Kattevennen crossed the finish line in 41.43 seconds and that is how they wrote their first CSIO5* GP on their list of honors.
During the final class for the 7- and 8-year-old horses, a podium place was reserved for the Danish rider Martin Dinesen Neergaard with the 7-year-old grey stallion Disney Z (Dimitri Z x Numero Uno – B: Bækgaarden Youngsters A/S). In a jump-off for which 7 combinations were able to qualify, they again remained clear and with a finishing time of 37.51 seconds they secured a 2nd place in the ranking.
Finally, the Swiss lady rider Janika Sprunger managed to jump into the picture with the 8-year-old chestnut mare Kinmar Scarlett, a daughter of Akarad Hero Z and Lys de Darmen who was born at the home of breeders Gerry Marron and Luc Henry as A Kinmar Scarlett Z. Both during the class on Saturday and during the final class on Sunday, Sprunger and Kinmar Scarlett managed to get a 5th place in the ranking.