Harrie Smolders, the best showjumping rider in the world at the moment, has bolstered his future with a promising horse. He has become one-third owner of the much discussed Escape Z, a 6-year-old son of the top-class sire Emerald and half-brother to the also popular sire Untouchable. Breeder Willem van Hoof and the British rider Danielle Ryder remain co-owners.

The demand for Escape Z has been immensely strong ever since he jumped his first course. With the partial sale to Harrie Smolders, the stallion is now in any case insured of an international career. “I have known this stallion for almost one and a half years. He is a very remarkable horse. I believe that he has great quality and enough power to cover wide oxers. Interesting for the future. I am always looking for horses like that. As long as they have something exceptional, the right instincts, things you can not change as a rider,” Harrie Smolders explains.

The agreement is that Danielle Ryder will continue to ride the chestnut stallion for another year, or one and a half years and when he is an 8-year-old Smolders will take over the riding. “I am often away from home and he would not get enough experience at my place. He has to keep up with his peers, no more. Hopefully he will be the successor of his sire Emerald.”

Escape Z, licensed by Zangersheide and AES and already intensively used for breeding in Great Britain, was born in 2012 in Biest-Houtakker. He breeder Willem van Hoof bred him out of the elite-prestatie-sport-awarded mare Promesse (Heartbreaker x Carthago), who is also dam of the 1.60m level Grand Prix stallion Untouchable (by Hors la Loi II). Promesse’s daughter Unique Promesse Z (by Ogano Sitte) won the class for 5-year-olds at Jumping Schröder Tubbergen even last Saturday.

Escape Z has always been very successful himself in young horse classes. As a 4-year-old he was British Champion and as a 5-year-old Best Stallion. In 2017 he produced the best showjumping foal in England. And also this year he has already won first prizes in international classes for 6-year-olds. From 16 to 18 July Escape Z will jump in the Global Future Champions in Valkenswaard.

Text © press release from Wendy Scholten PR & Communication