Story by Gemma Alexander
Photos by KH Freiler
After two qualifying rounds, the top 30 horses came forward Saturday evening for the final of the Sparkassen Youngsters Cup. These combinations compete for a prize pool of €11,400 including a bonus for the breeder of the winning horse. There was also a ‘special’ prize on offer, which turned out to be the most exquisite Selle Français colt foal by Alaba; so the stakes were high. The finalists compete in reverse order of qualifying points, with the seven-year-old horses starting first. First round height for the seven-year olds is set at 1.45m, before being raised 5cm for the eight-year olds. All combinations who incur no penalties in the first round come back for a jump-off round.
Previous winners of this prestigious competition have had a good track record of going on to be top level competitors; second round winner in 2018 was Killer Queen VDM (Eldorado van de Zeshoek x For Pleasure) with Daniel Deusser, and this mare is knocking on the door of being Deusser’s top ride. Earlier this week at CHIO Aachen the mare won a prestigious 1.60m class, the Prize of North-Rhein-Westfalia against far more experienced horses. Deusser said after her Friday win: “I always knew she is a horse for the Big Tours. I am glad that the results are already starting to reflect this!”. Winner of the 2018 Youngster Cup Final was Evita van’t Zoggehof (Golden Hawk x Rubens du Ri d’Asse) with Lorenzo de Luca, and the Belgian mare has had five 1.60m starts now, with her best result being a 20thplace finish in a 5* Grand Prix at Windsor in May.
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The winner from Tuesday’s opening qualifier round was Scott Brash on the eight-year-old Hello Franklin (Billy Mexico x Goodtimes). This gelding bred by Amanda McGlynn has been having much success with Brash up to the 1.50m level over the first half of 2019.
Scott Brash and Hello Franklin, winners of the first qualifier
Thursday’s round two qualifier saw a seven-year-old triumph, the bay mare Hatrona (Eldorado van de Zeshoek x Numero Uno) with Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt. This is a new ride for Weishaupt, who sat on the mare for the first time last Sunday; the mare’s usual rider Holger Wenz offered up the ride for the Youngsters Tour here at Aachen. The KWPN mare was bred by H. Schonewille of the Netherlands. Before coming to Aachen, Hatrona has had a number of solid performances up to the 1.45m level under the saddle of Wenz. After his win Weishaupt told reporters: “Hatrona is such a super horse – careful, scopey, fast and easy to ride. All the right ingredients!”.
Round two winners Philipp Weishaupt and Hatrona
A quick analysis of the competitors in this years’ final show a massive influence from the current WBFSH World # 2 jumping sire Diamant de Semilly (Le Tot de Semilly x Elf III); he is the sire of two, and grandsire of a massive five of the 30 finalists! Three other stallions are the sire of two in the line-up (grandsire of none): Eldorado van de Zeshoek (Clinton x Toulon), Emerald (Diamant de Semilly x Carthago) and Plot Blue (Mr. Blue x Pilot). Mention too needs to be made of the great Nabab de Rêve (Quidam de Revel x Artichaut), who is the sire of one and grandsire of three. The most represented studbook of the finalists is BWP with eight, followed by KWPN with seven and SbS with four.
The course is lovely and flowing with no obvious traps, a treble at 8ABC (oxer – 2 strides – vertical – 1 stride – oxer), an open water at 9, and a double at 11AB (vertical – 2 strides – oxer). The sun is out, but after an earlier storm the grass is so wet, splashing up the legs and very squelchy. The crowd is almost at capacity for this evening class – they know the Youngster Cup is an excellent class for talent spotting.
The first clear round comes from the third on course, Mandato van de Neerheide (Emerald x Pommeau du Heup) with Christian Ahlmann (GER); this stunning chestnut gelding is the image of his sire, and despite fighting a little for his head the pair jump a rather flashy round with no faults to add.
The next clear comes a few later, from Laura Kraut (USA) and Goldwin (Emerald x Understone van de Kapel). The bay gelding has such an airy jump and is just so tidy with his legs; they rattle the back rail at 8C, and Goldwin backs right off the water, but Laura is as effective as ever and the gelding seems so rideable, and they get home clear and under time.
Next in the draw is Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs with Leonie Jei (Baltic VDL x Corland), and the cute grey floats around the course to a relaxed and rhythmic clear.
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Then comes the ever so handsome grey stallion Mumbai (Diamant de Semilly x Nabab de Rêve) under the saddle of Christian Kukuk (GER); the horse just travels so beautifully, to an effortless clear. This is definitely one of my favourite horses in the class.
It is a bit of a shock when the wonderful winner from Thursday, Hatrona, doesn’t present for the class. This mare would have been one of the hot favourites to take out the title. However her rider Philipp Weishaupt had a most dramatic fall in a class on Friday, where his bit snapped just before taking off at a fence on Che Fantastica, and despite managing to stay on over the fence he had no way of pulling up the panicked mare, and had to make an emergency dismount off the side at high speed. This resulted in a damaged coccyx, so we can certainly forgive him for not riding in this class today.
Number 10 in the draw, H.Big Action (Action-Breaker x Big Star) is so flash, both with the front and back end, and despite Eduardo Menezes (BRA) having to give the stallion a bit of a push into the treble, they come home with a nice clear under time.
H.Big Action and Eduardo Menezes also jump their way into the jump-off
The tall and rangy Habitat BP was next out with the Netherlands Marc Houtzager, and they too pull off a smooth effortless clear round.
The fences are then raised 5cm for the eight-year-old component of the competition.
Second of the eight-year olds to come forward is Fiumicino van de Kalevallei (Plot Blue x Nabab de Rêve), and the bright bay gelding is just so pretty. With his ground covering canter, he and Jur Vrieling (NED) put in a technically perfect round, its so relaxed. I like watching this combination a lot!
Diawella D (Diamant de Semilly x Litsam) is next, and the pretty but plain bay just cruises around the track with her expressive canter, everything is so calm and controlled, and her and Pius Schwizer (SUI) are also home clear and into the jump-off.
One of my favourite combinations from the qualifying rounds was Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat and Albfuehren’s Maddox (Cohiba 1198 x Maraton); the little bay stallion is so cute and neat in his technique and has the same skippy canter as Steve’s megastar mare Bianca. A rattle at 8B, and another at 10, but the sweet little stallion crosses the finish line with no penalties to add.
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Winner of the first round of the competition, Great Britain’s Scott Brash and Hello Franklin (Billy Mexico x Goodtimes) are putting in an excellent round, with the gelding’s customary spring, until the vertical after the water comes down behind, and then 11B also falls. This was a real surprise, this combination were serious contenders to take out the final this evening but alas, that is horses.
The stallion For Laubry (For Passion d Ive Z x Quorum de Laubry) is undoubtedly the most handsome horse in the class, and the way he struts around the ring before starting he seems as if he would also be most at home in the dressage arena. He does have that signature For Pleasure foreleg technique – courtesy of his very famous grandsire – yet despite giving fence five a rattle the scopey stallion posts another excellent clear.
Next in the ring is Guinness (Nabab de Rêve x Katell) with Irish prodigy Bertram Allen; the bay gelding fights for his head and likes to go with his nose poked out, but Bertram just lets him travel and keeps him sweet. They get too close to seven and it falls, and then so does 8B. But much to everyone’s surprise, the gelding completely refuses to have a bar of the water jump. A very unexpected elimination.
Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann comes next with Little Magic d’Asschaut (Back Gammon x Nonstop), and the bay seems almost pony-like under Henrik. The gelding has a really snappy jump with a slightly unusual technique, but it is nonetheless effective, and they too are home clear.
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Shane Sweetnam of Ireland is next out with the very pretty Deleyn (Larimar x Cento), and the mare just travels so beautifully between the fences; despite a bit of a push for the water, we have another combination through to the jump-off.
One of my personal favourites for the win is Elektric Blue P (Eldorado van de Zeshoek x For Pleasure) who has been jumping so consistently with Austria’s Max Kühner, and the combination look really on-form with everything so accurate, but just a slight touch and the vertical at seven falls! The result of this class is absolutely impossible to predict!
Second last out see’s Garant (Warrant x Verdi TN) with Beezie Madden of the United States. I love this little guy; he is so cute and chunky and you just kind of want to give him a cuddle. But cuteness aside, the pony can jump, and the pair post an excellent clear round with so much scope to spare.
Garant and Beezie, clear in the first round
By the time the last horse of the first round was on course, the shadows were really bad and from some angles the sun was quite blinding. Gerrit Nieberg (GER) and the hot little gelding Ben 431 (Sylvain x Quincy Jones) had everyone on the edge of their seats, including trotting into the enormous treble which was heading straight into the setting sun. But Nieberg gave him an excellent ride, and we have 14 combinations through into the jump-off.
First on course in the shortened and heightened jump-off was Mandato van de Neerheide and Christian Ahlmann; this lovely Emerald gelding cruises around with his rocking horse canter, and they look set to post a double clear until they get too long to the last trying to take out a stride, and they take out the big oxer with the hind legs. 43.23 seconds and four faults.
The United State’s Laura Kraut and Goldwin are next, they turn inside the plant to get back to fence seven and are keeping up a fairly quick pace. Not quite as fast as Mandato, but clear in 45.25 seconds and into the lead.
Next we see Martin Fuchs and Leonie Jei, the gelding has such a lovely canter, and they take six at a big angle and turn inside the plant to seven and post a great clear but not quick enough to take the lead! 46.97 seconds and into second place at this stage.
Mumbai and Christian Kukuk set off at a cracking pace right from the start, this is really quite a beautiful stallion. However unfortunately they roll out fence six in front, and once the rail comes down, they ease off the pace a little. Four faults in 46.77 seconds.
The beautiful Mumbai with Germany’s Christian Kukuk
Eduardo Menezes is a man on a mission, and he and the flashy stallion H.Big Action take some really impressive angles and waste no time at all between the fences. This is really quick, and they are home clear in 43.51 seconds to take the lead.
Last of the seven-year olds is Habitat BP with Marc Houtzager, and they aren’t taking it as fast as some of the others, opting to go for a steady clear. Unfortunately, luck is not on their side and 8B comes down behind. 46.12 seconds and four faults.
First of the eight-year olds is the really cute Diawella D and Pius Schwizer, they throw in a pigroot after the first just for fun. They aren’t running too fast however they are taking very economical lines and the clock is getting close, but alas the last falls and they finish on four faults in 45.72 seconds.
Steve Guerdat and the super cute Albfuehren’s Maddox don’t seem like they are hurrying at all; they keep a consistent rhythm and go outside the plant to seven. They put in an excellent clear which is deceptively quick!! 44.92 seconds and into second place thus far.
The beautiful For Laubry and Patrick Stühlmeyer have so much acceleration, they go outside the plant to seven, but they are really motoring. Alas coming into the plank, they get too fast and too flat, and take it out with the stallion’s knees. Four faults in 44.78 seconds.
Little Magic d’Asschaut and Henrik von Eckermann are absolutely flying. Super inside turn to seven, they slow a little for 8BC but quickly pick up the pace again; they come to the last at an all-out gallop and they are going to make the time, but the last fence comes down behind!!!! Fastest round yet in an incredible 42.33 seconds, but with four faults to add.
Shane Sweetnam and Deleyn are fairly moving, we know the Irishman knows how to go quick! They take all the inside turns, and really angle the second last but it is a risk too much and the fence comes down. Four faults in 45.29 seconds.
Second last of the evening is Beezie and Garant; they get a little lucky at six, turn inside the plant to seven, and absolutely power down the last line. They make it look so easy, home clear in 43.40 seconds and we have a new leader with just one to go!
Unable to be bested, Beezie and Garant
Final horse on course is Ben 431 and Gerrit Nieberg. They are fairly travelling but go outside the plant to seven. They come quickly into the last line and post a really lovely clear in 43.53 seconds to finish the competition in third place.
This was one of those classes where you could not predict the outcome until the very end. The standard of these young horses was exceptional, and the riders all rode professionally and sympathetically given their mounts relatively young ages and there were no silly risks taken to win some money. This is such a wonderful class to watch, you get a chance to see the next megastars before their big breaks, and it really is a highlight class for me of CHIO Aachen!
Final results for the class:
- USA – Beezie Madden – Garant (Warrant x Verdi TN)
- BRA – Eduardo Menezes – H.Big Action (Action-Breaker x Big Star)
- GER – Gerrit Nieberg – Ben 431 (Sylvain x Quincy Jones)
- SUI – Steve Guerdat – Albfuehren’s Maddox (Cohiba 1198 x Maraton)
- USA – Laura Kraut – Goldwin (Emerald x Understone van de Kapel)
- NED – Jur Vrieling – Fiumicino van de Kalevallei (Plot Blue x Nabab de Rêve)
- SUI – Martin Fuchs – Leonie Jei (Baltic VDL x Corland)
- SWE – Henrik von Eckermann – Little Magic d’Asschaut (Back Gammon x Nonstop)
- GER – Christian Ahlmann – Mandato van de Neerheide (Emerald x Pommeau du Heup)
- GER – Patrick Stühlmeyer – For Laubry (For Passion d Ive Z x Quorum de Laubry)
Winning horse Garant is a KWPN gelding bred in 2011 by Gebr Bosch of the Netherlands. Before coming to Beezie, the horse competed internationally up to 1.35m with the Netherlands’ Willem Greve. Under the saddle of Beezie, Garant has had three starts at 1.50m level, with a best result of 6thplace in a 5* at Uniondale, New York in April this year. Garant’s third dam Madeleine (Voltaire x Pilot) produced one 1.60m jumper (by Burggraaf), one 1.45m jumper (by Verdi TN) and one 1.40m jumper (by Heartbreaker). His dam C’est la Vie (Verdi TN x Heartbreaker) has no international competition record, however, has her Elite IBOP predicate with the KWPN.
