Uricana Grace Z and Offield van Schijndel take another win

7 June 2025

Etronville PL Z secured his first-ever victory in the Stal Hendrix-competition. On the grass footing in Sevenum, this promising talent earned the highest marks among the four-year-olds. In the five-year-old division, Uricana Grace Z delivered another outstanding performance under Britt Driessen, claiming her third consecutive win. In the six-year-olds, Offield van Schijndel made a strong repeat performance. The final is scheduled to take place in just under three weeks.

Close competitors took advantage of the absence of current leaderboard leader Rio de Janeiro GP (s.Pegase van ’t Ruytershof), who impressed so much under Jenny Johansson in the recent stages of the Stal Hendrix-competition that a sale became inevitable.

Good canter
Alice Lazzarini had Peter Leenen’s Etronville PL Z (Ermitage Kalone x Diabeau van de Heffinck) jumping great in Sevenum, earning scores of 8.7 and 8.5 from the German judges. Good enough for the win. “This horse has a lot of quality, a strong canter, and jumps with a great overview,” commented judge Achim Lenaerts, who officiated alongside Dieter Feltens. With the KWPN-approved stallion Rock Me Zsazsa (Lambada Shake AG x Cornet Obolensky, bred by Karin and Gerrit Huisman), Kristian Houwen claimed second place (8.4/8.6), followed by Rhapsody of Love (s.Verdi, bred by Elly Habraken) ridden to third place by Pieter Bergmans (8.3/8.4). “Rock Me Zsazsa is very rideable, has a good canter, and shows a lot of potential as a showjumper. The Verdi daughter also impressed with her quality and rideability,” Lenaerts added. “Overall, the four-year-old group showed a strong level of quality, particularly in their canter.” Rio de Janeiro GP remains in the overall lead, followed by Etronville PL Z and Rock Me Zsazsa. With two victories already under his belt, the KWPN-approved Rising Aranix under Kristian Houwen also seems well-positioned for the final.

Third victory
Britt Driessen extended her lead in the five-year-old division aboard Uricana Grace Z (Uricas van de Kattevennen x Conan Z, bred by John Driessen). Just like in Kessel and Asten, the mare proved a class above the rest, firmly cementing her position atop the leaderboard. Zoë Schipper came closest aboard Curraghmore Miss Quinn (s.Mr. Quincy B), finishing second, narrowly ahead of Papillion AT (s.Luigi d’Eclips) ridden by Kristian Houwen. In the standings, Uricana Grace Z now holds a commanding lead over Catokey SR (s.Catoki) and Arriba Z (s.All Star). Following a winning international debut in Eindhoven, Piet Raijmakers Jr. again showed fine form with Offield van Schijndel (Diamant de Semilly x Baloubet du Rouet, bred by Van Schijndel Promotion). The pair, last year’s five-year-old champions in the Stal Hendrix-competition, had already won earlier this year in Koningsbosch. They were closely followed by Emile Tacken aboard another powerful Diamant de Semilly offspring, Davina, who continues to perform strongly for the second year in a row in this competition. Johan Bergs and Cybele Bel Z (s.Comme Il Faut) finished third among the six-year-olds in Sevenum. With four podium finishes, Davina currently leads the standings, followed by KWPN-approved stallion On and On MB (s.Baltic VDL), Off the Road (s.Comme Il Faut), and Offield van Schijndel.

Final
The final of the Stal Hendrix-competition will take place on Friday the 27th of June at Peelbergen Equestrian Centre. The last selection round is scheduled for Thursday the 12th of June in Meerlo. For the four-year-olds, the best three results count, while in the five- and six-year-old divisions, qualification for the final is based on the best four results.

Photo: Uricana Grace Z – Sportfot