New Top Stallion for Athina Onassis
Athina Onassis has bought a new top youngster. She invested in Vannan (Diamant de Semilly x Kannan) of Jan Tops and De Roshoeve Belgium. Jan Tops himself was the breeder of this eight-year-old horse. He was approved for AES and Zangersheide earlier this year. He won several stallion competitions in Belgium with Nick Vrins and was popular with the breeders. At seven years old, he has already made a successful international GP start in Mechelen.
Daniel Deusser Winning on a New Youngster
At the Valkenswaard midweek shows in May, Daniel Deusser won two times aboard Killer Queen VDM (Eldorado vd Zeshoek). This seven-year-old came straight from the breeder into Stephex Stables. The dam is the Olympic mare Derly Chin de Muze (For Pleasure), who jumped in the 2012 London Olympics with Eric Lamaze. Killer Queen’s full brother Japatero VDM also placed high in the Medium Tour in Valkenswaard under the saddle of Jos Verlooy.
Farewell Depardieu
Guy Williams’ top ride, Depardieu van’t Kiezelhof, (Thunder vd Zuuthoeve) is no more. The British rider has announced on the social net that the wonderful grey gelding has died of a heart attack during a training session at home. The grey gelding was being prepared for Hickstead Derby later this month.
The pair has been very successful at 5* international events, representing their country all over the world competing for team Great Britain.
Retirement of Mic Mac du Tillard
The French stud Elevage du Tillard has announced that their 17 year old star Mic Mac du Tillard (Cruising) will be retired from the sport. Still very fit, the generous chestnut mare will focus on her breeding career in Normandy after competing at the highest level under Sweden’s Angelica Augustsson and Germany’s David Will.
The farewell ceremony will be held in front of the emblematic Eiffel Tower at Longines Global Champions Tour of Paris.
No More Shows for Kessler’s Ligist
USA’s Reed Kessler has announced that her faithful companion Ligist (aka Goose) will be retired at age 17. Kessler and Ligist started their career together from the junior circuit up to CSI5* level. They took runner up position at CSI3* Eschweiler Grand Prix and they won also in Geneva, Calgary, Paris, Dublin and Hickstead.
Staut Loses Aran
After one year in France at the Haras des Coudrettes, Aran (Manhattan) has returned to his owner in Luxemburg. During this time Aran jumped up to CSI5* Grand Prix level. Kevin Staut and the powerful bay gelding took runner up position at the World Cup Grand Prix in Madrid and were 10th in Helsinki in October.
Also a New One for Staut and Delaveau
Around the same time, the French Haras des Coudrettes has purchased two new horses for Kevin Staut and Patrice Delaveau. The first will ride the 6 years old Gerwena, a KWPN mare by Lexicon. Gerwena competed successfully under Belgium’s Damien Plume. Patrice Dealveau welcomes the eight-years-old mare Vestale de Mazure (Landor S) into his string of horses. Vestale de Mazure won the CSI2* Mantes La Jolie GP in May under Axel Van Colen.
Nasty Fall for Markus Brinkmann
Germany’s young, talented Markus Brinkmann, competitor at the World Cup Finals in Omaha with his top ride Pikeur Dylon, has suffered a nasty fall while competing at CSI3* Hagen. The rider will be off for several months due to a broken elbow and several injured cervical vertebrates.
Foal Season!
It’s foal season in some of the biggest sport stables. Noltes Küchengirl became the mother of a foal by For Pleasure. Both were top horses of Marcus Ehning in Germany. At the French Haras des Coudrettes they welcomed a foal by Carinjo out of Silvana. Axel Verlooy is breeding quite a lot too. He has embryo’s from Regina Z with Don VHP Z and Emerald. Exquis Walnut de Muze has become the mother of a stunning black Darco filly.
Stephex Sells Happiness van ’t Paradijs
Stephex Stables’ Happiness Van T’Paradijs (Obourg) is sold to Mexico. The ten-year-old mare started her international career under Jonna Ekberg and continued last summer with Daniel Deusser at the top level. Together the pair has been extremely successful and won major events such as at the LGCT in Doha, the CSI-W Stuttgart, the German Masters and the Longines Speed Challenge in Hong Kong.
Quiet Easy to Johan-Sebastian Gulliksen
Bertram Allen’s top ride Quiet Easy (Quidam’s Rubin) is sold to Norway’s young rising star, Johan Gulliksen. In this first month they already won three international classes together in Drammen and Uggerhalne. The speedy and powerful thirteen-year-old gelding started his international career under Angelica Augustsson’s saddle before joining Bertram’s string of horses. Also with Bertram, Quiet Easy won many international classes, such as a major events in Hertogenbosch and the GP in Stockholm.
Son of Fit for Fun to Luciana Diniz
The nine year old stallion Camargo (Canturo) has found a new rider with the Portuguese Luciana Diniz. The Hanoverian stallion is approved by several German studbooks and was bred out of Diniz’ little top mare Fit For Fun. With Fit For Fun she had quite a successful career. Last year they competed at the Olympic Games in Rio finishing in ninth place in the individual rankings. The combination won big shows as the Grand Prix of Rotterdam and Al Rayyan. During the European Championships they were part of the Portuguese team and also won the Global Champions Tour Final in Doha. This weekend the new pair will debut during the CSIO of Sopot. The stallion was bred in the stables of the family Jünger and competed with Ralf Jünger the last couple years.
Bertram Allen’s European Championship Pony Passed Away
Together with Acapella Z, Bertram won the European Championships Individual Gold medal and Team Silver medal in Bishop Burton in 2010. The following year the duo won Individual and Team Silver medals. Acapella was exceptional, a real winner, bred from a horse, but being a pony. After Bertram, ‘Aca’ was ridden by his sisters Grace and Lucy and most recently by younger brother Harry.
“She was incredible, a once in a lifetime pony. She taught me so much and has left us all with wonderful memories. As a family we are incredibly sad at her passing, ” Bertram says.
Throughout her life, Aca was lucky to pass through some lovely families. She was born in the La Silla Stud in Mexico. From there she went to the Verlooy family in Belgium, then to Scotland where Mag Power brought her to the Allen Family. Her life was a wonderful one, and since 2016 she was enjoying retirement in Ireland. She lived to be 20 years old.
Belcanto Z Sold to Germany
Also big news last month was the sale of his 11-year-old gelding Belcanto Z (Berlin). The gelding is a Belgian bred horse. The horse was born in Niels Bruynseels’ backyard. After being sold through the Woodlands International Sales the Berlin-son was produced by Louise Whitaker on an international level. Years later it was Irish rider Michael Duffy who took over the reins.
The pair competed successful at the international CSI5* level. Duffy and Belcanto Z were one of the main characters during the CSIO competitions in Gijon, Al Ain, Lummen and La Baule this year. In La Baule they were part of the CSI5* Nations Cup team that took home third place. His new rider will be Germany’s Karl Schneider. Schneider is now mostly competing on a two star level and works together with Henrik von Eckermann since he left Beerbaum’s stables.
Ashford Farm Will Sell Top Mares
Ashford Farm will sell a few top GP mares and its offspring out of the breeding farm in Belgium. The sale will run through the Zangersheide Online Auction at the beginning of July. Zangersheide also will sell a daughter of the full sister to Good Luck (Canturo) of Cian O’Connor this month online.
Top Show for Lillie Keenan in Wiesbaden
Lillie Keenan was the star of the show at the Riders Tour in Wiesbaden. She won a big class on Super Sox and placed second in the Medium Tour aboard her new superstar Fibonacci, the grey gelding that jumped the Olympic Games with Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum.