“He’s the champion of second places,” laughed Harrie Smolders after taking silver in the Valkenswaard (NED) Grand Prix, where the Global Champions Tour was based this weekend. He is referring to Monaco by Cassini II-Contender (Ralf Lütje, Haseldorf), line 429. The horse has already secured silver on several occasions, including in Monte Carlo (MON) and Paris (FRA), and now also in Valkenswaard.
In the USA, or more precisely in Del Mar, Cool Quarz won a 1.45-metre class. He is a son of Quarz by Cassini I, bred at Gundula Henningsen’s stud (Rantrum). The twelve-year-old represents the Holsteiner 2004 line and has already secured several placings up to 1.55 metres this year with Shawn Casady (USA).
At the same show, the Catoki son Citoki also won a jumping class: The gelding, out of a Chambertin dam (Kai Gerken, Lasbek), line 6900, won a 1.45-metre show jumping class with Skylar Wireman (USA) and finished second behind Cool Quarz in another.
Dressage
In Neustadt-Dosse, Aperol, ridden by Juliane Brunkhorst, won both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special. Aperol is a son of Ampère by Aljano (line 8797) and was bred by Heidi Blohm from Hamburg. The pair are a truly successful duo, having won the top-level classes in quick succession at international level this year, including in Redefin.
Further results for Holsteiners from around the world can be found here:
Photo by Stefan Lafrentz: Monaco and Harrie Smolders
