In the Grand Prix Zuidenwind was in second place behind Patrik Kittel with Delaunay. Kittel got 75,48%, while Mathisen received 72.80% with Zuidenwind, a breeding product of Huub van Helvoirt from Rosmalen. Unfortunately, Kittel had to withdraw his horse for the Freestyle. Mathisen took her chance and rode a very nice test which got her the championship. She received 76,52% from the judges, a worthy score for the new Swedish Champion and the Dutch bred Zuidenwind.

Qualities
The rider, who had her last top-3 placing in this championship three years ago, is impressed with Zuidenwinds qualities: “Zuidenwind has a beautiful piaffe and passage and makes really nice transitions in between the two. It always feels extra nice when the music fits his gaits and the movements during the entire test. If I can make that happen, it is really cool to ride a kür to music.”

CHIO Rotterdam
The stallion will also compete at the coming CHIO in Rotterdam where he will be ridden in the  Nations Cup. Besides that his rider hopes to travel to Falsterbo. “Just like anybody, I hope to be competing at the Europeans this summer. We shall see”, explains the rider, who was selected as reserve rider many of times before.

Serendy
The late Huub van Helvoirt bred the son of  OO Seven out of the elite preferent prestatiemare Serendy by Jazz. That same Serendy is also the dam of Grand Prix-horse Bono ridden by Seth Boschman, Krista Kolijn’s international Small Tour horse Wish and Kim Thijssen’s national Small Tour horse Obama. As a four year-old, Zuidenwind, ridden by John Thijssen, won the Pavo Cup. After that, the stallion moved to Sweden early in 2009.

SR/YBF for KWPN

Source: Hipposon

Photo: Dirk Caremans