Two KWPN’s in World Cup top-10
In the fifth World Cup final for Maikel van der Vleuten and the KWPN approved stallion VDL Groep Verdi TN N.O.P. (s.Quidam de Revel), the pair finished in ninth place. Best KWPN horse was Arrayan (s.Baloubet du Rouet) with Sergio Alvarez Moya in fifth. No less than three KWPN’s made it to the final round in this years’ World Cup final, which showed that KWPN played a dominant role in Omaha.
Without any faults McLain Ward won the World Cup title with HH Azur (s.Thunder van de Zuuthoeve). This mare jumps phenomenally and descends from a Dutch mare-line. She is the granddaughter of the KWPN-mare Generous stb prest by Zandigo. Romain Duguet took second place with Twentytwo des Biches (s.Mylord Carthago) and Henrik von Eckermann got in third with Mary Lou (s.Montendro). In the last round of the finals, three KWPN’s came at the start. The best result was for the Baloubet du Rouet-son Arrayan (out of Grandezza stb prest by Grannus) who is bred by Benny Wezenberg. He was ridden by Spanish rider Sergio Alvarez Moya and finished in fifth place. They easily went round clear in both rounds of the final.
Again top result for Verdi
The KWPN-approved stallion VDL Groep Verdi TN N.O.P. (Quidam de Revel out of Clarissa by Landgraf I, bred by Denis Musterd from Hooge Zwaluwe) and Maikel van der Vleuten were able to also stay clear in both rounds on the final day. “Verdi was just as fit on the last day, as he was on the first”, Maikel said afterwards. “He is such a good horse, he feels as if he is an eight-year-old. On the first day we had a real unfortunate small mistake. That we were able to finish in the top-10 again is just fantastic. I really enjoyed the last few days.” Team chef Rob Ehrens is also very happy with Verdi’s achievements. “Verdi went supreme. Unbelievable what that horse achieved over the passed years. He deserves a statue for that!”
Zidane in thirteenth
The second Dutchman in the final was Leopold van Asten who finished in thirteenth place. With his eager Heartbreaker-son VDL Groep Zidane N.O.P. (3e bez., out of Colanda stb pref prest by Calando I, breeder Frank Kok from Etten) he had a 0/8-result on the last day. “In the first round, Zidane jumped amazing. In the second he was a bit spooky in the corner of the arena and we had a fault on two uprights because of that. But, despite the two mistakes, Zidane gave me a suoer feeling’, van Asten said. He can look back on the World Cup finals with satisfaction. “The first day was super with a fifth place. The second, I was a bit too focussed on the allowed time.”
A total of six horses came from Dutch dam-lines.
JS/YBF for KWPN / Source KNHS