AFTER a summer of championships, last week it was the turn of the ‘Olympics’ for young horses when the FEI/World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) show jumping championships for young horses took place in Lanaken, Belgium.
Hopes were high in the Irish camp after a run of medal wins at recent years. However, just like the European eventing championships further south in Switzerland proved to be a British whitewash, it turned out to be a clean sweep for German riders in Sunday’s finals.
From a 55-strong startlist in the opening five-year-old final, it was the Belgian-bred stallion Querido VG (37.49) and Germany’s Christian Ahlmann who won out from the three clear rounds recorded in the jump-off.
The champion is by Ahlmann’s top horse Dominator 2000 Z, second by the narrowest of margins in the previous day’s Sires of the World jump-off.
The fastest round (36.17) and best of the four-faulters and Irish brigade, was the well-related Killossery Karma (ISH. SIEC Livello – Killossery Kruisette. Breeder: Frank and Laura Glynn) and Jason Foley who finished fourth. Another Irish rider in the top-10 was Kevin Gallagher who placed sixth with Heritage Bloodstock’s LVS Goldrush H (ISH. Stakkato Gold. Dermot Walsh).
The next final in the Ratina Z arena, named after Leon Melchior’s great mare, was the six-year-old jump-off where 11 battled it out for the next gold medal and €12,500 first prize.
Again, it was another German rider, Philipp Weishaupt, who set an unbeatable target with the Cornet Obolensky son Coros 3. And again, it was fourth place for the talented Foley, who won a gold medal here two years ago with the Ronan Byrne-bred Rockwell RC (Kannan).
This year, Foley finished fourth with Calvador Z (ZANG. Comilfo Plus Z. Luc van Hoof), the same result they had recorded in the opening qualifier, won by another Irish competitor in Max O’Reilly Hyland on BP Limitless (Elvis Ter Putte. Breeder: Austin Broderick).
They placed 13th in the final and two places above was another Irish-bred; Denis Gallagher’s CBI Karhari (Goodluck VDL. Aidan Carroll) ridden by Shane Goggins.
The closing final for seven-year-olds was another German victory when Harm Ladhe with the VDL Zirocco Blue mare Just A Dream completed a hat-trick. Best of the Irish in this final was Mikey Pender with Bravo Hughes Ltd’s GCS Athena (Vigo d’Arsouielles. Olivia Brennan) in 12th place.
There were more top-10 placings for the Irish in Saturday’s consolation classes. Alan O’Regan placed second with Emma Horgan’s Seaview Demonstration (FFS Corelli Bravo. James Keane) in the six-year-olds.
Mikey Pender took second in the five-year-olds with another Bravo Hughes Ltd-owned horse, the home-bred HHS Tokyo (Z 7 Ascot), a recent winner at the RDS National Championships, and Tomás Doyle finished seventh here with Monbeg Ruby (Diamant de Semilly) owned and bred by wife Marti Rudd.
2021 wasn’t quite the medal-filled result the Irish Sport Horse team and riders hoped for. However, as is always the case with young horse championships, there are years ahead for the finalists and prize winners to prove themselves in international waters.
Foley best of the Irish
“WE were best of the Irish, we were expecting better but came close twice with fourth in the five- and six-year-old finals with Killossery Karma (ISH) and Calvador Z,” said Jason Foley, leading Irish rider in the Lanaken finals.
“Lanaken would always be on our calendar to go. Where I am now in the minute in Castlefield Stables, it’s brilliant. I was lucky when I met Ger and got so involved in his yard. They’re more like a family than anything, Ger and I know how each other works and we get on very well.
“Ger has won at Lanaken on two occasions [Columbcille Gipsy and Killossery Kaiden]. It was my second year riding there and it’s absolutely amazing. It’s the one show where everybody combines together from all over the world, you could bump into anyone in Lanaken.
“I’ve won it once before [Rockwell RC] and she’s with Darragh Kenny now. She was always a good horse but she’s lived up to what she done in Lanaken and looks like one that’s going to be very good in the future.
“I suppose this year we were confident that we had one that could do the same thing; a five-year-old mare Killossery Karma. She’s a full sister to Killossery Kaiden who won a gold medal.
“Calvador Z just looks like a really special one. He stood at stud for the first year in Castlefield and covered up to 50 mares this year. Next year he looks like he’s going to be very productive with the results he’s had. I think he’s an amazing horse, he’s one of the horses we adore in the yard and I think he’s going to be very special.
“Are we catching up breeding show jumpers? I would like to think so, it’s becoming more open. We’re starting to vary with what we breed with. I suppose we’re starting to look outside the country than trying everything that’s inside the country. Breeding looks to be getting very strong in my opinion.
“The plan now is to go to Spain for six weeks. Thank God we’re starting to get back into the swing of it as the world gets back to normal.”
2021 Lanaken champions
Five-year-olds
Gold – Querido VG Z (BWP. Bay stallion by Dominator 2000 Z – Corsica, by Chellano. Breeder: Alois Van Gorp.)
Silver – Quabriolet van het Bildeken (BWP. Bay gelding by Anakin van Schuttershof – Valiska van het Bildeken, by Burggraaf. Breeder: Koen Baublomme.)
Bronze – Loharna-P (KWPN. Bay mare by Carrera VDL – Viantha-P, by Burggraaf. Breeder: B.J Platzer).
Six-year-olds
Gold – Coros (WESTF. Bay stallion by Cornet Obolensky – Atemlos B, by Arpeggion. Breeder: Werner Buschsieweke.)
Silver – Crowny NW (WESTF. Bay stallion by Crown Z – Pepita N.W, by Pontifex. Breeder: Norbert Wentrup.)
Bronze – Parequita v.h (BWP. Bay mare by Jamal van de Heffinck – Chablis Flandria Horse, by Cumano. Breeder: Willem Hoecke.)
Seven-year-olds
Gold – Just A Dream (KWPN. Grey mare by VDL Zirocco Blue – Sweet Dream, by Carano. Breeder: Fam. Nooren.)
Silver – J. Comghorla van Beek (KWPN. Bay mare by Comme Il Faut – Ghorla, by Padinus. Breeder: Guido Herjigers ‘T Eirbissemhof.)
Bronze – Etundel de Marocy (SF. Grey gelding by Diamant de Semilly – Elle van St. Marten, by President. Breeder: Pascal Morelle.)
Sires of the World
Gold – Kasanova de la Pomme (BWP. Bamako de Muze. Breeder: Haras de la Pomme Baertson-Keldermann.)
Silver – Dominator 2000 Z (ZANG. Diamant de Semilly x Cassini. Breeder: Tony Foriers.)
Bronze – Feromas van Beek Z (ZANG. Famtomas de Muze x Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve. Breeder: ‘t Eirbissemhof.)