Release date: 11/09/2020

Holland’s Gerben Morsink’s day could not have been any better. On the first day he won three classes at Tops International Arena. He delegated Ireland’s Denis Lynch and Inventa d’Or into the runner-up spot in the young horses class with a super fast round with the seven-year-old gelding Carsey Z (ZANG, Carthino Z x Guidam). In the next class, the Medium Tour, he again had the fastest round with the KWPN mare Galina (2011, Andiamo x Carthago). In the Big Tour he scored his hat-trick with the stallion Navarone Z (ZANG, Nabab de Reve x Amor).

The 32-year-old rider from Beuningen was super happy: “My three horses felt really good and I knew I could ask them a little more. My father said to me ‘you better speed up a little’, but I thought differently. I have had enough practice rounds in the past few months and really wanted to go for it. The quality of the riders and horses here is high and then you have to give it all and take risks if you want to win.” All three horses have been bred by his family and are all related to each other. “I am riding Navarone Z for quite a while now and I hope I will be able to compete at 5* level shortly. He can do it and he is ready for it.” Gerben is also happy that competition at top level has started again. “It is fantastic here, the accommodation and the sport. I am going to enjoy the action in the 5* classes this afternoon.”

Belgium’s Ines van den Bosch won the Small Tour (1.35m) with Ecoline (KWPN, Warrant x Indoctro). She also won two classes last week during the CSI2*. Victory in the 1.25m Small Tour class was for a member of the same family, Ines’s father Danny van den Bosch with Zilvano (NRPS, Zilverstar T x Vito VD Paardenwinning).