FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for Young Horses, Lanaken (BEL), 27-30 September

Quite a large contingent of Swedish fans didn’t make the long journey to Lanaken, Belgium, for nothing. Peter Eriksson rewarded them today winning the prestigious FEI/Zangersheide Sires of the World class. French bred Jaguar Mail (Hand in Glove xx x Laudanum xx) was only 0.04 of a second faster than second placed Karondo von Schlösslihof, ridden by Theo Muff from Switzerland.

Jaguar Mail had the advantage of his pedigree, with thoroughbred race horses as sire and dam sire. Father Hand in Glove xx won races as a two year old, then was trained in dressage up to Prix st. Georges level and continued his career in Grand Prix jumping. Famous French breeder and stallion owner Bernard Le Courtois choose his own stallion Hand in Glove xx for his mare Katchina Mail (s.Laudanum xx). The result of this combination today won the Sires of The World class, an international jumping course for approved stallions at 1.50 m. level. But his stallion was not in the hands of Patrice Delaveau, who educated Jaguar Mail to this level. Le Courtois swapped his stallion this year for Quite Easy, the Holstein stallion of the Swedish stud Flyinge. Jaguar Mail this year covered 200 Swedish mares, still he was fit enough to race down the Sires of the World-course, leaving all fences untouched.

A lot of excitement in the Ratina Z Arena. For a moment everybody had forgotten about the drizzle coming down all day. Chalan (Chambertin x Carolus I) and Gerd Sosath were the first to go in the jump off, their ambition was punished with two rails. Frederique Fabre Delbos and New York (Quidam de Revel out of the full sister to Grandeur) went really fast, lost a shoe and took all the risk going to the last fence. The time was good, 36.55, but the rail of the Zangersheide oxer went down.

Even World Champion Jos Lansink didn’t manage to stay clear with Al Kaheel Vanqueur (Darco x Shogoun II), so a clear round would be something to strive for. Peter Eriksson however did not settle for faultless, he used all Jaguar Mail’s natural speed, running down the long, curved line towards the wide oxer number 10 and leaving out a stride towards the last oxer. All rails stayed up, 34.44 was very fast.

Last rider to go Theo Muff, a loyal competitor in the Sires of the World classes, only missed victory with the Swiss bred Karondo by the smallest of margins. In spite of all the loud cheers from the Swiss in the stands, the Marseillaise was played for the winning Sire of the World Jaguar Mail.