Harrie Smolders wins the first Longines Ranking class!
After we were able to enjoy a lot of beautiful sport in the past few days during this closing week of our Z-Tour 2022, yesterday afternoon it was time for the first Longines Ranking class of the weekend. Fifty-six combinations appeared at the start of this 1.50m main class, for which the French coursedesigner Grégory Bodo and his team had once again set up a beautiful course. Thirteen of them managed to keep clear in the basic round and thus qualified for the jump-off. In that jump-off it was the Dutch rider Harrie Smolders who claimed the victory with his 11-year-old chestnut gelding Bingo du Parc (Mylord Carthago x Diamant de Semilly). As the penultimate starter, Smolders again managed to ensure a clear round and this in a time of 42.60 seconds.
The French rider Robinson Maupiler followed in second place with the 12-year-old gelding Sir Charlie Chaplin (Chap 47 x Cantus). He had also managed to ensure a clear jump-off, but with a time of 43.28 seconds he was more than half a second slower than Smolders and Bino du Parc. Third place went to the Argentine rider Ezequiel Andres Ferro Menendez with the 10-year-old mare Celli (Cellestial x Kolibri). He crossed the finish line in 44.24 seconds and thus also secured a podium place.
Convincing victory for Jos Verlooy
During the 1.45m class it was Belgian Champion Jos Verlooy who convincingly took the victory with his 9-year-old mare Next Funky de Muze (Elvis Ter Putte x Vigo d'Arsouilles). In a class against the clock, Verlooy rushed to the finish line in 57.03 seconds and with that he was almost three full seconds ahead of the competition.
The British rider Joe Whitaker took second place in the ranking after Jos Verlooy. He was sitting in the saddle of the 9-year-old mare Icaterina (Durango VDL x Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve), but with a finish time of 59.85 seconds he clearly had to recognize his superiority in the Belgian Champion. Third place went to the Dutch lady rider Megan Laseur with the 9-year-old gelding It's A Walk In The Park (Numero Uno x Calvados), with whom she also managed to secure a second and a third place last week. She reached the finish here in a time of 62.62 seconds.
Patrick Mc Entee beats Britt Schaper
The day started yesterday at the Ratina Z Arena with a 1.35m high speed class in which it was Patrick Mc Entee who became the winner with the 9-year-old Zangersheide gelding Lloyd's Mury Marais Z (Levisto Z x Kojak – B: De Buyl Insurance Sa ). Mc Entee finished in 63.29 seconds and with that he beated the competition.
The Dutch lady rider Britt Schaper jumped into the spotlight here by taking both second and third place. With the 10-year-old gelding Bad Boy (Silverstar T x Heartbreaker) she crossed the finish line in 63.50 seconds and with the 9-year-old mare In The Air (Air Jordan x Indoctro) she rushed to the finish in 64.27 seconds.
Another victory for Andres Vereecke
The penultimate day of our Z-Tour 2022 started early yesteray, because the 1.40m class of the CSI3* competition started already at 8.15 am. In this class it was the Belgian rider Andres Vereecke who secured another victory with his 14-year-old grey mare In The Mood (Winningmood van de Arenberg x Calypso III). Vereecke finished in the 2nd phase in 28.28 seconds and with that he again managed to keep the competition behind.
Second place went to Dutch rider Tom Schellekens, who won the GP qualifying on Friday. In the saddle of the 9-year-old mare Isabel (Captain Cooper x Nonstop), Schellekens also kept it double clear, but with a time of 29.98 seconds it took him over one and a half seconds longer than Vereecke. Just like the two days before, his compatriot Lars Kersten and the 8-year-old mare Big Beauty Z (Big Star Jr KZ x Padinus – F: C. Teunissen) finished third here. Kersten crossed the finish line this time in 30.01 seconds.
Maxime Harmegnies wins the 1.30m class again
Finally, yesterday afternoon there was also a 1.30m class on the program in which the victory went, just like on Thursday during the opening day, to the Belgian rider Maxime Harmegnies with the 11-year-old gelding Lester (Elvis Ter Putte x Lord Z). Harmegnies managed to keep it clear in both the first and the second phase and this in a time of 30.37 seconds.
For the Belgian rider Mike van Olst there was again a second place with the 10-year-old mare Harania B (Dakar VDL X Ojasper). Van Olst, who also finished second on Friday, crossed the finish line in 30.83 seconds. The Swedish lady rider Kim Martén completed the podium here in third place. She reached to finish in 31.24 seconds with the 13-year-old gelding Calvin M (Callahan VDL).
