By Jo de Roo
Photography: FEI/Martin Dokoupil

Traditionally, the SBS International Selection Show takes place in the riding school in Gesves, which hosts a cosy promotional village, a catalogue, and ‘The Best of SBS’, featuring young stallions, established names, and even several stars from the five-star showjumping circuit.

This year the show attracted an unprecedented number of spectators, and the core event – the stallion approval – saw 28 new sires approved, with Emerald van’t Ruytershof as main supplier (three approved sons), followed by Chacco-Blue, Chacco-White, and Corydon van T&L, each with two approved sons.
As far as the presenters were concerned, Jan Wuytack and Joris De Brabander were the big winners. Jan, alone or in co-ownership, presented five stallions, four of which were approved. Joris also returned home with four accepted stallions out of a total of seven, of which he is listed in the catalogue as owner or co-owner. Daniel Boudrenghien (Horse of Belgium studfarm), one of the SBS stalwarts, was less successful in this edition, having presented four home-bred stallions of which only one was approved.

Jan Wuytack’s successful harvest

Looking back on Jan Wuytack’s successful harvest, we briefly review his approved stallions, starting randomly with Ventoux JW van’t Meulenhof (Denzel van ’t Meulenhof out of Sweet N’Sour JW van’t Meulenhof), bred and presented by the combination Stable ’t Meulenhof (Jimmy Vermeulen) and JW Stables (Jan Wuytack). According to Jan; “Ventoux’s granddam, First Call de Muze (For Pleasure), stayed with me to break in. She wasn’t too big, but showed great quality. I suggested to Jimmy Vermeulen to buy an embryo out of her. We bought a Vigo d’Arsouilles embryo out of First Call de Muze. From this combination a filly was born, christened Sweet N’Sour JW van’t Meulenhof. The mare jumps well and will be staying with Jimmy, while Katrijn Van Hoecke will compete her in competitions for six-year-olds this year.”
Ventoux is a product from the first vintage of Sweet N’Sour. His half-sister Velina JW van’t Meulenhof (Don VHP) is injured, which rules out a sporting career but she is in foal to the late Denzel van’t Meulenhof, a stallion who was owned by Jimmy Vermeulen, Joris De Brabander, and Team Nijhof. Denzel died suddenly and unexpectedly last year at the age of 14 due to colic. “Ventoux has inherited a lot from his sire. He is very sharp over the fences and has very good mechanics. He looks quite classic.”.. To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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