By Jo de Roo
Photography: Jo de Roo
On November 11 the National free jumping competition took place within the equestrian infrastructure of the famous Vanderhasselt horse family in Wambeek, Belgium, featuring classes for two- and three-year-old ponies, two-year-old colts, two-year-old fillies, and three-year-olds.
For the two-year-old horses this competition provided an opportunity to qualify for the semi-final of the free jumping championship that will take place on December 4 in Liege.
Victory for Ugano van’t Hooghof
The gelding Ugano van’t Hooghof, bred by ’t Hooghof BV, is the result of crossing the 2018 BWP champion stallion Pegase van’t Ruytershof with the Berlin daughter Zegina. According to the KWPN database Zegina has already produced the international showjumper Ever Gold (1m45) and national showjumper Dusty (1m35). Her dam line includes several performers from the international showjumping circuit, such as Caleeto, Day Dream St Ghyvan (five-star), Desperado St Ghyvan (five-star), and Caprice St Ghyvan (five star) – the latter three ridden by Paul O’Shea, Eduardo Pereira de Menezes, and Morgan Bordat, respectively. Ugano van ’t Hooghof is owned by Sophie Germis, a rider in her leisure time and a professional tax lawyer in her daily life. “I bought him when he was one year old. He has a lot of blood and his one blue eye makes him very special. He attracted me from day one, so I decided to buy him.”
Was this Ugano’s debut?
“No, just over one month ago he took part in his first free jumping competition in Ghlin. He was still a bit impressed at the time and achieved 72,50%. Last weekend I participated in training with the Dekens family. He jumped very well there and calmly.’ Sophie beams: “It’s fantastic to win here. Tears came to my eyes during the award ceremony. In my leisure time I am very busy with my horses. This victory is the icing on the cake.”
What are the future plans with Ugano? “Let him enjoy life in the pasture. Then we’ll see. He may qualify for the semi-final. I own two horses, Ugano and his peer Umbre Da Quinta VL. It is my intention to show them later in showjumping competitions for young horses. When I started working after my studies I broke with showjumping for two years. During this period, I missed the sport so much that I bought two young horses again,” Sophie concluded.
Filly triumph for Udina van Klapscheut
Udina van Klapscheut was bred by the Van Rossem family by combining Orak d’Hamwyck with the I Am Moerhoeve’s Star daughter Odina van Klapscheut. Geert Van Rossem tells about Odina: “She was ridden by me as a young horse, up to and including the first heat of the cycle for seven-year-olds in Kuringen. Then we sold her to Stephan Conter. In partnership with Petronella Andersson, Odina won the Belgian Championship for seven-year-olds last year. Odina is a very promising horse.”
What feeling did she give you under the saddle?
“A very good feeling. Always reliable. Lots of scope and very sharp. She always jumped well and very consistently. As a five-year-old she won the cycle and as a six-year-old she ended fifth. She never disappoints.”
Odina’s granddam (Goriana van Klapscheut, by Vigo d’Arsouilles) and great-granddam (Coriana van Klapscheut, by Darco) both performed in international five-star classes (in partnership with Pilar Lucrecia Cordon) and belong to BWP dam line 109... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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