FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for Young Horses, Lanaken (BEL), 27-30 September

Forty 7 year old horses qualified today for the final of the FEI World Breeding Jumping Championship on Sunday. Today’s winner, Quincy de Rosseignies, will not reappear in the Ratina Arena, the main stadium of the championships at the Zangersheide Stud. Ludo Phillipaerts had an amazing jump off aboard the careful SbS-bred Cruising-daughter, but their poor performance in the first qualifier, yesterday, made it impossible beforehand to start in the final.

Tough competition once more in the three age groups of the World Championships. One mistake, even a time fault, may well stand in the way of the battle for the medals on Sunday. After two qualifications Laura Kraut and the Zangersheide bred Canecko Z (s.Candillo) lead the field of forty combinations for the final. Her seventh place yesterday and fourth position today however are of no good to Laura any more, all final competitors start with a blank score sheet on Sunday.

No less than 65 7 year olds remained faultless and qualified for the jump off. Some riders, who had their second clear round and were already qualified for the final, decided not to ride in the jump off, in order to keep the strength in their horses for Sunday. Others really hit the gas and tried to win some money, knowing they didn’t qualify for the final anyway.

Ludo Phillipaerts found himself a true fighter in Quincy de Rosseignies, the mare that he only rides for a couple of weeks. Careful Quincy cooperated extremely well in the short turns, being drawn to the fences like a magnet (0/38.36). Second placed Mario Stevens from Germany, riding the Oldenburg bred Numero Uno, needed a bit more time clearing the fences: 0/39.55. Third place was for Andreas Schou from Denmark aboard Holstein bred Corratus. Neither of today’s top three qualified for the final.

The Dutch KWPN is the most successful studbook in the 7 year old division. No less than twelve of the 20 final horses are bred in Holland. Holstein and Belgian Warmblood (BWP) both have 5 horses in the final. The small Studbook Zangersheide had a remarkable score, qualifying four horses for Sunday. Selle Français (4 horses in the final) did well to quality standards: the numbers two and four after two days are French bred horses, displaying a lot of power and ability. My Lord Carthago HN, a very nice cross bred stallion combining the best from Holstein (Carthago) and Normandy (Jalisco B), today had a small mistake in the jump off with French rider Pénélope Leprevost. Mélodie Ardente (Apache d’Adriers x Jalisco B), ridden by Simon Delestre, took fourth place.