By Jenneke Smit / KWPN
Photography: Dirk Caremans
The Dutch influence during the World Cup Finals was striking. In show jumping, top sire Heartbreaker posthumously left his mark, and the Cardento-daughter Iliana was the highest-scoring KWPN horse. The dressage final consisted of 40% Dutch horses and had the keur stallion Glamourdale as a dream winner.
Although no Dutch horse ended up on the podium in the jumping, the influence of the studbook was unmistakable in this World Cup Final. Four KWPN horses placed among the top 12, and Dutch influences were clearly present in other horses as well.
Iliana
Overall victory went to the winner of the first round, Frenchman Julien Epaillard with his Jarnac offspring Donatello d’Auge, who only incurred one small mistake throughout the competition in the second round on the final day – a performance worth €172,500.
In a time that, without the four faults, would have been good enough for the win in the second round, Henrik von Eckermann finished fourth with Iliana sport-spr (Cardento - Destiny x Gentleman), bred by farrier Jan Bocken. This mare has been paired with the Sweden-based rider since early 2022 and had previously caught the eye under Lars Kersten.
With Henrik von Eckermann, Iliana advanced to the highest level and already competed at the European Championships in Milan in 2023. That the ultra-careful mare suits the St. Jakobshalle in Basel was proven in January when she claimed the Longines Grand Prix at the same venue. In her first World Cup Final, the Cardento daughter delivered a top-level performance and added €60,000 to her winnings.
Great cooperation
“Iliana did fantastic. She cooperated so well and stayed calm in her head. Even in the last lines of the course, she kept her composure, and that’s very important. Because at a multi-day competition, she must not get too hot, as she would carry that tension into the next day. So I’m incredibly happy with Iliana and the progress she has shown. She couldn’t have done better, and the mistakes on the last day were entirely my fault,” praisee Von Eckermann of his top horse.
Heartbreaker
Heartbreaker’s influence was significant. Two grandchildren of the influential stallion made it to the podium, and three more horses in the top 12 carried the genes of this pride of Team Nijhof. For instance, the runner-up Point Break under Ben Maher is a grandson of Heartbreaker through his sire Action-Breaker. This SWB-registered stallion traces back to a Dutch dam line.
The third-placed Visconti du Telman of Kevin Staut is a granddaughter of Heartbreaker through Toulon. Incredible (Clinton - Unbelievable ster prest PROK x Heartbreaker, breeder Gebroeders Bosch), who finished 12th, once again demonstrated his jumping quality under Daniel Coyle, and only had a minor time penalty on the final day. This gelding, bred by the KWPN Breeders of the Year 2024, is a maternal grandson of Heartbreaker.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE IN THE ONLINE EDITION OF BREEDING NEWS
