Starting with the final of the free jumping competition for two-year-old horses, the jury comprised Olympic team bronze and European team gold medal winner Pius Schwizer, alongside Belgian top rider Karel Cox. There were 40 participants, selected during the semi-final, although nearly 800 two-year-olds took part in the selection trials that were held all around the country. Some 210 were invited to contest the semi-final which took place last December 8 at the equestrian centre Azelhof in Liege. The organising committee of the Mechelen auction then selected 21 two-year-old horses who didn’t jump during the final, but only during the auction.

Overall victory was claimed by the BWP registered Requiem J&F Champblanc (Quaprice Bois Margot - Hanky Panky x Calvaro), bred by J. and F. Van Dijck. In the final Requiem formed a nice parabola over the fences and demonstrated great scope and a quick foreleg technique. Hanky Panky’s dam, Love Love-CR (Heartbreaker), is the grandmother of STB Fleuri van de Koekelberg. This 2005-born Winningmood daughter is nowadays performing at international three-star level, in partnership with Steven Vermeir. In 2013 and 2014 STB Fleuri van de Koekelberg even jumped at five-star level with Dirk Demeersman in the saddle. This damline also produced several international showjumpers, amongst them Vagabond/ex Barough CR and Rapsodi-CR. Requiem J&F Champblanc received a wild card in order to participate at the Mechelen auction, and was the first horse into the arena – finally going under the hammer for €60,000 to Hilton Stables.

Several other horses were also sold at high prices, such as Burletta vd Donkhoeve Z (Bingo des Sequoias Z - Leona vd Donkhoeve x Heartbreaker) who sold for €46,000, and Rock’N Roll MXL (Denzel van’t Meulenhof - Olivia MXL x Elvis ter Putte) at €38,000. The latter was, in fact, sold to Poland.

In the final of the free jumping competition the BWP registered Rosy vd Bisschop ranked second. Rosy was bred by Tom De Craene by crossing Chacoon Blue with the dam Ilydi vd Bisschop (Kashmir van Schuttershof - Troica x Lys de Darmen). Rosy scored 92 out of 100, just one point behind the winner. Currently, Ilydi is performing in showjumping classes, in partnership with the very young rider Emma De Craene.

Rosy’s damline produced several approved stallions (such as Gandy vd Bisschop, Qornet vd Bisschop and Grafiti van den Bisschop), as well as several international showjumpers, including Flinstone van’t Eigenlo, Foica van den Bisschop, Iloica vd Bisschop, Gandy van den Bisschop and Jaap vd Bisschop.

Three horses received a score of 91/100: Rite ‘Ter Elzen’ (Gino H - Orite ter Elzen x Hunters Scendro, bred by Werner Heuninckx-Van Hoornyck); Royal Touch vh Schaeck (a son of Untouchable out of Gin Tonic de Muze, the dam of the approved stallions Million Dollar and Odarco van het Schaeck, bred by Perry de Winter, BWP dam line 34); and Alexia Bormes Rm Z (Arezzo VDL - Daskia Bormes x Perhaps vh Molenvondel, bred by Ruben Mulders)...To read the complete article you need to be a subscriberCLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO BREEDING NEWS

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