Christopher Hector gets on a plane to Europe AT LAST!
Photos – Danielle Vink Fotografie
I hate to tell you this, but in that three-year break when we were locked in Australia, Amsterdam airport hasn’t got any closer, the only new twist, was the over two hours it took to get through passport control…
Still here I am, at Holland’s number one horse show, Rotterdam CHIO in the beautiful and historic showgrounds, as the sun gently shines.
And the first test I saw, it shines too, Furst Dior, at six years old is one of the babies of the class, but he produces such a harmonious test for an experienced professional John Tijsseen. The black stallion is by, and looks like, Fürstenball, and is out of a Sir Donnerhall I / Rubinstein mare, it’s a great blood nick. The horse is soft and sweetly moving through his body, the legs match front and hind. Okay there is the seemingly obligatory lean back on the extended trot diagonal, and the horse lengthens sweetly into the walk. If only the rider would let him out a fraction in front, I could seriously gush. The stallion walks out of the arena, cool as a cucumber on the buckle for a score of 71.833.
Furst Dior
The judging is spot on, with the judges paying out on harmonious work, and hurting the tense. I am right with them until we get to the eventual winner, another six-year-old stallion Lebinicio (Benico / Johnson) ridden by twenty-two year old, Elena de Keijzer. The dark chestnut is just that bit tighter in the body which leads to the tendency to be a little out behind, the tail is quiet, the test accurate, it’s a very good test, but I would have had it second behind Furst Dior, not first with a score of 73.416.
Lebinicio
Now the rules of this class are somewhat esoteric, it is a team competition for regional riders, below international level, and the first tests are ridden in a forty metre arena, when we move to the sixty metre ring, I think the work gets less good, more tense, more leaning back, more behind the vertical, and much more tail swishing.
Ladignac
The third placegetter emerges from this group, Ladignac another six-year-old stallion from the army of stallions that staff the van Uytert mega stallion barn. Ladignac is by Zonic, and has his dad’s somewhat common head, out of an Apache mare, and he has that stallion’s superior canter. Ladignac is ridden by Joep’s wife, Renate van Uytert – van Vliet. The stallion can really move, it’s flowing through his body, just a bit surprising given how short he is in front. It just lacks the pizzazz and harmony of that first black stallion, Furst Dior.
Hey folks, how good is it to be at a real show in sunny Holland. Watch this space…
Fürstenball and Sir Donnerhall I and many other exciting European stallions are available for the 2022 season in Australia, go to www.ihb.com.au
F¨ürstenball
Sir Donnerhall