For the second consecutive week, a Brazilian rider won a French five star Grand Prix. This time he was followed by two KWPN horses. Pedro Junqueira Muylaert was the surprising winner of the Grand prix of La Baule. Patrice Delaveau riding Aquila HDC and Maikel van der Vleuten with VDL Groep Arera C did again well and got second and third.

Eight riders made it to the jump-off, three of them on KWPN’s. Aquila HDC (Ovidius out of Maxime O keur prest by Lauriston, breeder Stoeterij Oud Wierden from Hengelo) ridden by French rider Patrice Delaveau, Capetown (Oklund out of Santha by Carlino, breeder G.F. van Os from Uden) ridden by Wout-Jan van der Schans and the final one, VDL Groep Arera C (Indoctro out of  Vera C ster by Voltaire, breeder J.J.A.C. Coppelans from Nuenen) with Maikel van der Vleuten.

Van der Schans against his former top-horse Aquila HDC

Patrice Delaveau was the first to go in with Aquila HDC and set a sharp time of 45,94 seconds. The extremely careful son of Ovidius jumped the course easily and obviously feels at home in La Baule. Last year, Aquila jumped clear rounds in the FEI Nations Cup and this year he remained without mistakes in the Grand Prix. Van der Schans had to compete against his former crack. With Capetown, the member of the KWPN stallion Selection committee, started off well, but early in the jump-off, the back pole of an oxer went down. Four faults in 48,70 seconds was in the end good for sixth place.

Almost one and two

After last year’s winner Jérôme Guéry, had a stop and left the arena with nine faults, it was time for Maikel van de Vleuten. With his succesful Indoctro-mare VDL Groep Arera C – the one that also won the Grand Prix of Amsterdam - the rider from the south of Holland tried his ultimate best. His time was 46,24 second, just not fast enough to beat Patrice Delaveau. For a long time it looked as if KWPN would finish first and second, until the Brazilian Pedro Junqueira Muylaert surprised the crowds. After his teammate Pedro Veniss won the Grand prix of Versailles last week with the KWPN recognized Quabri de l’Isle (s.Kannan), now it was time for Muylaert with the Zangersheide-stallion Prince Royal Z MFS (s.Prince de Revel). The Brazilian and the stallion that competed at the Olympics with Uruguayan Nestor Nielsen van Hoff went round with huge quality and managed to secure the win in 45,39 seconds.

 

PW/YBF for KWPN