Rising Aranix takes center stage in Stal Hendrix-competition

13 May 2025

On the opening day of JPM International, spectators in Kessel were treated to a showcase of the next generation of showjumpers during the Stal Hendrix-competition. In the class for four-year-olds, the KWPN-approved stallion Rising Aranix claimed his second consecutive win, scoring two nines. The overall level was high once again, with the victories in the five- and six-year-old divisions going to Uricana Grace Z (s.Uricas van de Kattevennen) and Off the Road (s.Comme Il Faut), respectively.

The four-year-olds were judged by Eric van der Vleuten Jr. and Peter van der Kallen, who were clearly impressed by the group. “First of all, the venue here in Kessel is fantastic, and we certainly saw a number of clearly above-average young horses,” said Eric Jr. “Some were still a bit green, but overall they were well presented. Especially the top ten horses showed a lot of quality and potential. It’s also great to see that enthusiasm for this competition remains as strong as ever.”

Second victory
With a 9 for jumping and a 9 for rideability, Kristian Houwen secured a second straight win aboard the KWPN-approved stallion Rising Aranix, a chestnut stallion bred by Rising Stud. Naturally, this puts them firmly at the top of the interim ranking after two of five selection legs, with the best three counting toward the final. Another strong performance came from Rio de Janeiro GP (s.Pegase van ’t Ruytershof, bred by Gertjan van de Pol), who earned a 9 and an 8.2 under co-owner Jenny Johansson, finishing second after placing third in the first leg. The Emerald van ’t Ruytershof daughter VDL Groep Rosalyn (bred by Stoeterij Duyselshof) also received a 9 for jumping, while earning a 7.1 for rideability under Natalia Majchrowicz, good enough for joint third place. She shared the podium with Etronville PL Z (s.Ermitage Kalone, bred by Peter Leenen), who scored 8.3 and 8.5 under Alice Lazzarini. The latter now ranks second in the standings.

Strong competition
Among the five-year-olds, the top two from the first leg once again stood out. After finishing second in Koningsbosch, Uricana Grace Z (s.Uricas van de Kattevennen) took the win this time with Britt Driessen. Bred by her father, John Driessen, the mare pushed previous winner Caprice Z (s.Columbus Z) ridden by Nadine Janssen, into second place. Playtime H.V. (s.Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve, bred by Harrie Vaessen) placed third in Kessel under Elisa Vaessen, climbing to third place in the overall ranking. Out of 95 starters in the five-year-old class, 51 jumped double clear in the two-phase course. In the six-year-old division, 26 of 74 combinations finished with a double clear. Victory went to Off the Road (s.Comme Il Faut, bred by Stal Peters) under Nicole Caris. They were closely followed by Dia-Mood Z (s.Dominator Z) with the in-form Britt Driessen, and the scopey Diamant de Semilly daughter Davina, ridden by Emile Tacken. The latter currently leads the interim standings, followed by Off the Road and the KWPN-approved stallion On and On MB (s.Baltic VDL) ridden by Rob Heijligers. The Stal Hendrix Competition continues on Tuesday the 27th of May in Asten.

Photo: Sportfot