Great sport in the finals of the Stal Hendrix competition

21 July 2023

After five qualifying competitions, the finals of the Stal Hendrix competition provided a stunning conclusion. The best four-, five-, and six-year-olds competed against each other on the beautiful grass arena of the Peelbergen Equestrian Centre, leading to a thrilling climax. The Jacadello mare Olivia HX, maintained her lead among the four-year-olds and secured victory. Nelson (s.Highway M TN) claimed the top spot among the five-year-olds, while the Toulon mare Toulusha Key SR, proved to be the best among the six-year-olds.

Cor Loeffen and top rider Giampiero Garofalo were in charge of judging the four-year-old finalists. They placed the Nixon van ’t Meulenhof mare Thiame Nafi VTS (ds.Fidjy of Colors, breeder Pieter Van Tulder) in the lead with a score of 8.2 for jumping. Ridden by Jeroen Blomen, this mare jumps with excellent technique and scope, and she had already triumphed twice in the competition. They finished in fourth place in the overall standings.

Substantial lead
The double-counting final result caused some shifts in the rankings, but Olivia HX (Jacadello x Andiamo) bred by Stal Hendrix held a significant advantage over the competition. Under Ivo Steeghs, she was crowned the winner of the competition. “This mare stands out with her good balance and rideability. Even with slightly varying distances, she consistently delivers the same jump: good with her withers up, with good use of her body, and displaying a great deal of carefulness,” explained Cor Loeffen, who -along with Giampiero- gave the mare a score of 7.8 for jumping and rideability. Agalandro Keizersberg Z (s.Aganix du Seigneur) also received a favorable evaluation with an 8 and a 7.8. Bred by Stal Keizersberg and ridden by Joel Siersema, the stallion made a small mistake but secured second place in the competition. “This well-galloping stallion has a somewhat vertical neck shape but uses his neck and body correctly while jumping. He stands out with his good technique, body use, and displays a lot of athletic ability.” The very comfortable-to-ride Ofarona LD (s.Echo van ‘t Spieveld, breeders Th. Lemmers and C.R. Diessen) climbed to the third place in the competition under Oda Charlotte Lyngvaer. “Once again, a horse with good balance, jumping well off the ground, and very pleasant to ride. She jumps quickly off the ground and is a bit variable in the front legs technique, but she certainly belongs to the top group here today in the final,” added Loeffen.

Convincing winners
Renee de Weert and the Highway M TN son Nelson (ds.Cardento, breeder family Kuipers from Hengelo) had already shown strong performances throughout the Stal Hendrix competition, and they continued their winning streak with a highly convincing round in the final. The gelding stood out with his scope, power, and technique in the hind legs. Throughout the competition, it was often a battle between Nelson and the Edinburgh mare N’Abalia SMH, ridden by Kristian Houwen. In the final, the latter combination proved slightly faster, securing them the third place in the competition. With his other mount, the Aganix du Seigneur son Nils SMH, Kristian Houwen claimed the third prize in the final, securing the second place in the overall competition. The six-year-old category also saw fierce competition in the final. Yves Willems was determined to achieve a top result with the Sleutels family’s Toulusha Key SR (Toulon x Elvis ter Putte), and they succeeded completely. Their winning round among the six-year-olds also earned them victory in the Stal Hendrix competition, where this fast and careful mare had already performed well in 2022. Dave Maarse jumped a fast, clear round with this well cooperative Detroit VDL offspring Maillorca and was thus able to climb to the second place in the overall standings. On the third place we find Johan Bergs with his competitive Zerlin M offspring Mighty Ferry. They had already claimed two victories in this competition earlier this season. The finales at the Peelbergen Equestrian Centre secured great sport and the Stal Hendrix competition has once again contributed to the training of young showjumpers in the Limburg area.

Picture Olivia HX – Wil Smeets