LANAKEN: World Jumping Championship for YH

First qualification five-year-olds

198 five-year-olds participated in the first qualifier at Zangersheide, 116 stayed clear. This shows that most studbooks take the World Jumping Championships for Young Horses serious and send their best horses to this super event. The new all-weather arenas will also be credit to the good performances of so many young horses and the horse-friendly course building of Eugene Mathy invites the horses to jump at their best. In total 583 horses compete this weekend at Zangersheide, with the five-year-olds on top.

First qualification six-year-olds

The “Ramiro” arena was the domain of the six-year-olds on the first day of the World Championship and there were 105 combinations clear within time in the first round of the first qualifying competition. The big studbooks were well represented, especially Holstein, KWPN, BWP, Z and Hannover. They will compete in the second qualifier on Friday and it has to be seen if that many will stay clear again. Experiences in the past teach us that fatigue can play a important role during the second day.

First qualification seven-year-olds

At Zangersheide 48 combinations out of a starting field of 149 stayed clear in the initial round of the first qualification for seven-year-old horses and went on to the jump-off which at the end was won by Swedish rider Niklas Arvidsson with the KWPN stallion VDL Empire (by Emilion x Lord Calando). He was just a bit faster than Dutchman Siebe Kramer with Sjors, also KWPN by Voltaire out of a dam by Nimmerdor. Third place was for another KWPN horse, Gucci (by Mr. Blue x Torrero) ridden by Nuri Dijks.

The course of the jump-off, built by Eugene Mathy, was big but fair, which was proven by the number of horses that stayed clear in the jump-off, 29.

Fluent start for the 15th edition of the Z stallion selection

The first day of the stallion selection of Studbook Zangersheide ran fluently. The showing went smoothly and the stallions only had to be shown by hand in trot. In total 89 candidates were presented of which 16 two-year-olds (born in 2004), 34 three-year-olds, 13 four-year-olds and 26 older stallions. Their origine by studbook can be devided as follows: Studbook Zangersheide 30, Holstein 21, KWPN 12, BWP 9, Selle Français 5 and Westphalia and Oldenburg 2 each. Studbook La Silla (Mexico), Anglo-Arabe (France), Swedish Warmblood, Sella Italiana and the Brazilian Sport Horse had one each. Tomorrow (Friday) the presentation will take a bit longer as the stallions had to show their sporting talents in the free jumping class.