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QHT
Belgium Riders rule at TR’s Grand National
(by Bea Verselewel, photos: Jose Troullioud)
Piet Mestdagh-SR Lil Peppy Sprat
***** The TR’s Grand National, hosted by the TR Ranch
in Liessel in the Netherlands, has been a huge success
for Belgium Riders. The double pointed AQHA Show on
April 8 and 9 unfortunately attracted very few competitors,
except for the Reining classes, in which many
riders were schooling their horses for the full slate
NRHA show that on the contrary attracted riders from
the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany. Out of
22 competitors Belgian Bernard Fonck won the Open
Lawson Reining, riding aboard the five-year-old gelding
Trouble by Frosty (Frostys Chic Olena x Commanders
Trouble), owned by Belgian Kathelyn Sterckx. Fonck
showed a nice set of spins and his circles were well
under control, which resulted in a score 144, also the
highest score in the Intermediate Open which was run
concurrently. Second place in as well the Open as Intermediate
Open went to Fonck’s wife Ann Poels, riding the
six-year-old stallion KS Whizaway, owned by Patrick
Norris, with a score 143_. Third place in both classes
went to the six-year-old stallion Coeur D Wright Stuff
(Lenas Wright On x Mist N Smoke), ridden by Dutch
Angelique Ferdinandus and owned by Roy de Bruin, with
a score of 143. Ferdinandus is a member of the Dutch
National team that will attend the FEI European Championship
that will be held in May in Manerbio in Italy.
Belgian Cira Baeck, riding the six-year-old mare
Soft Whizpers (Topsail Whiz x Miss Stepping Jac), was
very successful in the Non Pro division; she won the Non
Pro Lawson Trophy with a score of 142_. Baeck purchased
her horse a month ago from a Non Pro rider and as
for now it seems a good purchase. Cira also ended up
second with a score 142 with the five-year-old stallion
Don Quixotes Escape (Okie Paul Quixote x The Great
Escape), owned by her sister Susy. There was a tie on
the third place for Belgian Piet Mestdagh, riding the
seven-year-old stallion SR Lil Peppy Sprat (Little Chikkasaw
x Jae Bar Hoppie) and Dutch Debby Willems
riding her ten-year-old stallion Docs Golden Partner
(Doc Cinch Bet x Jiggs Partner), with a score of 141. For
Mestdagh this was his second show on his new purchase,
which is well known in the Reining circuit. Last year
the stallion has been shown by Ann Poels and together
they celebrated victory after victory in the Open classes
especially in the German competition. The winner of the
Intermediate Open Pewter was determined by a run off
between Mestdagh and Willems. Unfortunately Mestdagh’s
horse fell out of lead, but despite of that, he had a
nice run with beautiful spins, which resulted in a score
of 140. Willems did not perform as well as in her first
run and ended up with a score 138 and once again a Belgian
rider was awarded with the Trophy. Dutch Jolande
van der Valk (though living in Belgium) made her come
back in the Intermediate Non Pro. She had not been
competing for about a year. Her nine-year-old mare
Whiz N Mist (Topsail Whiz x Misty May Morning) gave
birth to a foal last year and she herself to twin brothers.
But the combination that was part of the World Equestrian
Games in Jerez de la Frontera in Spain in 2002 is
back on the scene again. Van der Valk placed third in the
Intermediate Open.
For the first time ever in the Netherlands TR’s Grand
National hosted NSBA Hunter and Western Pleasure
classes. And again it was a Belgian rider that won the
NSBA Morrison Open Trophy. Out of 7 competitors Christel
Poels won the class with her seven-year-old Stallion
Kay Cees Checkmate (Kay Cees Leaguer x Beckys Melody).
QUARTER HORSE TODAY 15/05 13