"He won everything last year in the stallion competition, so we really couldn't do otherwise, right?" responds Hessel Hoekstra after his spectacular victory in the Blom Stallion Competition class Z/ZZ.

In the combined class Z/ZZ at the first competition of the Blom Stallion Competition at the Peelbergen Equestrian Centre, eleven stallions qualified for the jump-off. Two of them did so at the 1.35m level, the rest at the 1.30m.

Abnormal attitude
Under his previous rider Iris Hakvoort, the KWPN-approved stallion Stargos VDL (Stakkato Gold out of Estella sport-spr by Conthargos, breeder W. Winkeler) already built up a great reputation. Last year, the competitive stallion from the VDL Stud won everything in the stallion competition, and after his rider change, he continues to make even more of an impression. Under Hessel Hoekstra, Stargos VDL showed promising rounds during the KWPN Championships in Exloo and the World Championships for young showjumping horses in Lanaken. Today, the duo started strong in the Blom Stallion Competition. "He already jumped fantastically in the first round, so I knew we could go for it in the jump-off. Stargos VDL has an abnormal amount of attitude: he seeks out the obstacles himself, is fast, very careful, and he has a lot in him! He seems to enjoy the game just as much as I do," responds Hessel Hoekstra, associated with Stal Wiefferink. In second place was the 1.35m-level jumping Comme Le Coeur (Comme Il Faut out of Debby Harry by Heartbreaker, b/b Herman Seiger) under Lennard de Boer. They were the first to start in the strongly contested jump-off and immediately set a fast faultless round. As the last starter, Boy Peels made a good attempt with Kiss And Jump TAG Z (Kannan out of Ilinn sport-spr by Van Gogh, b/b Evert van Gorp) and finished third with a fast jump-off round.

Strong field of participants
Also, the 1.35m-level jumping KWPN-approved stallion Kentucky TMS Z (Kannan out of Elite van Prinseveld by Toulon, b/b Tal Milstein) started well under Maikel van der Vleuten. Last year, they won the first competition of the Blom Stallion Competition, and now they were able to place themselves in fourth thanks to a fast faultless round. This pushed the AES-approved A Moonlight Speciale Z (Aganix du Seigneur out of Double-Speciale star PROK by Chacco-Blue, b/b Jack Verstappen) under Pieter Keunen to fifth place.

KWPN Media Guide

Result

JS for KWPN / Photo Stargos VDL – Jacky van Tartwijk Horses.nl-Paardenkrant