Edited press release from Zangersheide

On Sunday morning, the first final started at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses 2024 in the Ratina Z Arena in Lanaken, Belgium. In the final for the five-year-old horses, the best 54 horse-and-rider combinations from the two qualifications took to the ring and a total of twenty pairs managed to advance to the deciding jump-off. 

The jump-off began with some combinations still playing it safe, but soon the pace picked up. Tension palpably rose when Ireland's Niamh McEvoy entered the arena with the KWPN-mare Orange de Baugy (Dominator 2000 Z x Barbarian, bred by L.A. Geertzema). As the tenth pair out, the two stopped the clock on an impressive finishing time of 36.15 seconds. With this, they left the competition far behind and convincingly took the title more than two full seconds ahead of the runner-up pair. 

“Orange de Baugy is without a doubt one of the best 5-year-old horses I have ever had under saddle," McEvoy said. "I knew I could ride fast in the jump-off because she is really very careful. But of course, with 20 combinations in the jump-off, you never know how it will go. So, I'm really happy that after my 2nd place last year I managed to take home the gold this time. The World Championships is on the agenda for Irish riders every year and everyone works really hard throughout the year to get the best possible start here with our young horses.”

The silver went to Italy's Diego Pagano with Zuly (Zirocco Blue VDL x Toulon, bred by Ilenia Baesso). Pagano and Zuly competed right after McEvoy, but despite their fast ride in 38.44 seconds, they could not match the Irish rider's time and had to settle for second place. “Zuly is really a fantastic and easy horse to work with, both for me and for my team at home. We qualified at the Italian Championships and this is really the icing on the cake," Pagano said. 

Lotte Teuns (NED) secured bronze with the SF-gelding Jolidiams Des Tocrias (Diamant de Semilly x Opium de Talma, bred by Gilles Denizet and Michel Guiot). Teuns started strongly in her jump-off, but chose to ride to the final fence in eight strides instead of seven, resulting in a finishing time of 39.06 seconds. “I've only had Jolidams Des Tocrias under saddle for a week. He qualified in France for this World Championships and came to our stable last Saturday. That we've been able to accomplish this here is just incredible. I maybe should have ridden a stride less towards the last jump, but I am very happy with my third place.”

The final for the 6-year-old horses at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses 2024 was a real spectacle, with Germany's Katrin Eckermann once again proving her class by capturing the title for the second year in a row.

A total of 40 combinations managed to qualify earlier this week for the final and no less than 20 of them secured a place in the deciding jump-off. Katrin Eckermann and the Westphalian-mare Sascinora NRW (Stakkato-Boy RM x Firth Of Lorne, bred by her father Otmar Eckermann) clocked an impressive time of 36.73 seconds after an unparalleled jump-off.

“What a fantastic day again," she said. "First of all, of course, for the world title, but also because Sascinora was bred by my father. Just like her mother by the way, which makes it all a bit more special. Christian (Glanemann) bought her last year when she was 5 years old and we gave her some quiet time. I'm really very happy with how everything went this week, because she doesn't really have that much experience at this level yet.”

Eckermann topped a full German podium with the second place going to Kendra Claricia Brinkop (GER), who entered the ring as the last combination with the BWP-stallion Sniper des Lilas Blancs (Hamilton du Chapitre x Calvaro Z, bred by Simon-Pierre Herbiet). In addition to her impressive victory, Eckermann also managed to secure the bronze in this exciting finale for the 6-year-old horses with Iron Dames Earl Of Alice (Eldorado van de Zeshoek x Cinsey, bred by Ralf Mewes). 

The FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses 2024 concluded with a sensational final for the 7-year-old horses, with Ireland's Michael Pender adding another victory to his already impressive track record in Lanaken. 

A total of 40 horse-and-rider combinations qualified for the final, where only seven combinations managed to clear their way into the jump-off. As the last combination to go, Pender rode the Irish bred mare HHS Mercedes (Can Ya Makan x Couletto, bred by Bravo Hughes Ltd) to the finish line in a lightning-fast time of 38.30 seconds.

"I am happy to have won another world title here," Pender said afterwards. "HHS Mercedes was trained by Molly Hughes Bravo and together they won the final for the 7-year-old horses at the Sunshine Tour this year, among others. We then made the plan that I would ride her here at the World Championships, but because of the many shows I compete at, the preparation was not always easy.  That's why I did ride her as much as possible in the last few weeks. She really is a fantastic horse to ride, and I am really lucky to have such a good horse under the saddle for the second year in a row with which I can become World Champion!"

Pender's phenomenal ride meant Belgium's Mathieu Bourdeaud'Hui and the BWP-gelding Remco van den Uilenbos (Nixon van ‘t Meulenhof x Triomphe de Muze, bred by Raymond De Loose) had to settle for silver. Bronze went to Ireland as well, thanks to Michael Duffy and his Irish-bred gelding BP Royalty (Comme Il Faut x Obos Quality 004, bred by GBBS International Ltd).