A great triumph was celebrated by Frenchman Kevin Staut this weekend in front of a home crowd: with the Chepetto-Cash daughter Cheppetta (Silke Zuba, Wesselburen), family 18A2, he won the Grand Prix of Paris. The pair's last victory was not long ago: in February, the two finished a 1.50-metre jumping competition in Vilamoura, Portugal, in first place.
A few months ago, American Laura Kraut was still crying because she did not know whether her long-time successful horse Confu would recover from his severe virus illness. Now the Contact Me-Cambridge son (Kai Gerken, Lasbek), family 4705, celebrated a textbook comeback in Wellington (USA). In the 216,000-dollar Grand Prix of the CSI4*, the pair was once again lightning fast in the jump-off and secured victory. „He knew exactly what to do,“ said the happy female rider after the competition — her grey's first since autumn 2021.
At the CSI5* in Paris, the Casall-Contender daughter Catenda (Detlef Hennings, Bendorf), family 2067, and Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) placed third in a 1.55-metre jumping competition. „That was her first big competition and she mastered it effortlessly,“ Tops-Alexander beamed. „Catenda has a great attitude and showed that on the dot today.“ The mare had started her sport career in Germany with Markus Renzel and has only been in the Tops-Alexander stable since this year.
For the first time together at 1.50-metre level — and immediately securing Verband stallion Million Dollar by Plot Blue and Sophie Hinners (GER) second place in the Grand Prix in Oliva, Spain. Both in the first round and in the jump-off, the two remained clear, a feat achieved by only three out of 50 pairs in this jumping competition.
Confu is not the only horse bred by Kai Gerken that was victorious this weekend: The Catoki-Contact Me son Catover (family 4705) also finished a 1.45-metre jumping competition as the winner. This took place in Coapexpan (MEX), with Alberto Sanchez-Cozar (MEX) in the saddle.
Dressage
Devanto by De Chirico-Lorentin I (Holger Wesselmann, Kellinghusen), family 49, has not only presented Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén (SWE) with a victory each in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle, but also with her new personal best in the respective test. „The atmosphere was quite something,“ the rider said after the freestyle. „But I had the feeling that he was entirely with me — that was great.“
In Germany, Devanto's former trainer, Juliane Brunkhorst, celebrated an S*** victory (Intermédiaire II) with the Ampère-Aljano son Aperol. The bay stallion is bred by Heidi Blohm (Hamburg) and represents family 8797. He was previously successful up to the top class with the Finn Emma Kanerva before coming to Brunkhorst after a competition break.
Further results of Holsteiners from all over the world can be found here:
Photo Stefan Lafrentz: Catenda and Markus Renzel
