It is only since November last year that the Swiss rider Martin Fuchs has been in the saddle of Conner, a son of Connor Cosimo, and now the pair have won the five-star Rolex Grand Prix in Dinard (FRA). As the first rider to start, Fuchs entered the 1.60-metre course and kept his nerve in the competition, which had a prize fund of 500,000 euros: the pair were clear and fast, and proved unbeatable in the subsequent jump-off as well. The dark bay from line 8778 was bred by Gerhard Stamer from Duvensee. “That was his first five-star start; he’d already performed brilliantly in the Nations Cup at La Baule with two clear rounds, and I believe he’s an exceptional horse with a great future,” beamed the 29-year-old.
In the Netherlands, two horses with Holstein pedigrees dominated the two-star Grand Prix over 1.45 metres. Taking first place was Caletto Cabana (Elmar Sipple, Ravensburg), a son of Cassini I out of Cape Canaveral, ridden by Mohammed Bassem (QAT). The bay from line 1298 had previously enjoyed success at jumping heights of up to 1.60 metres with Wilton Porter (USA) and Rashid Towain Ali al Marri (QAT). Silver in this class went to Camalita, who was once sold at the Holsteiner Auction, and Laura Klaphake. Camalita by Cracker Jack–Quinar was born at Roswitha Thomsen’s in Epenwöhrden and belongs to line 6582. In the four-star Grand Prix (1.60 metres), Confu by Contact Me–Cambridge (Kai Gerken, Lasbek), line 4705, and Laura Kraut (USA) also took second place.
The talented Folia de la Lys was victorious at a five-star show in France. In Dinard, the daughter of Diamant de Semilly and Calando I won a 1.45-metre Derby class – and did so on her debut in such a class. The mare from line 173 was born at Frederik Ruyssen’s stud in Belgium and is ridden by Andres Vereecke (BEL). The pair have already celebrated victories this year, for example in Lier and Oliva Nova.
Zuccero and Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) enjoyed a successful weekend in Falsterbo: The pair won the competition’s opening 1.40-metre show jumping class – although Bengtsson is due to travel to Tokyo for the Olympic Games in a few days’ time, he still made a point of presenting the Zirocco Blue-Caretino son (Hanno Köhncke, Badendorf), line 4539 – and was rewarded with a ‘home victory’ over 1.40 metres and a second place in the 1.45-metre show jumping.
“His most difficult jump so far”, as his rider put it, was also mastered in Falsterbo this weekend by Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann’s (GER) stallion Quim by Quiwi Dream-Levisto Z (Carsten Lauck, Pinneberg), line 6691, also mastered his “toughest jump to date” this weekend in Falsterbo. In the 1.50-metre Derby jump, he took an excellent third place behind Quadrosson Ask by Quadros-Carentan (Werner Schumacher, Meerbusch), line 1947, and Andreas Schou (DEN) in the saddle.
The former Holsteiner auction prospect C-Jay by Carthago-Contender made a name for himself under Johannes Ehning: the grey from Bernhard Hobe’s stud represents line 318D2 and won the 1.45-metre show jumping competition in Herzlake.
The Crunch-Calato son Crunch Air (line 3287) also began his career after changing hands at an auction organised by the Holsteiner Verband. Volker and Susanne Redderberg from Ahrensbök are responsible for his breeding, and he has now triumphed in the final for seven-year-olds in Falsterbo, Sweden, under Marcus Westergren.
You can find further successes of Holsteiners from around the world by clicking on the button:
Holsteiner competition results
Photo by Stefan Lafrentz: Caletto Cabana and Rashid Towain Ali al Marri
