Jur Vrieling imposes his new star in the difficult 4* Grand Prix of Frankfurt

Monday 23rd December 2024 05:10 PM

Of the four survivors of the initial course of the Frankfurt 4* Grand Prix, Jur Vrieling was the best, with his new star, Helwell du Chabus. The daughter of Elvis Ter Putte won her first event at this level and signs a fifth consecutive Grand Prix ranking, after less than four months of association with her rider! A godsend for the Dutchman, who has seen his leading horses sold one by one in recent months. At home, the German representatives signed a nice group shot, from ranks two to five.

Forty-eight couples took the start of the difficult 4* Grand Prix in Frankfurt, Sunday December 22, in Germany, and only four of them ended up in the jump-off to determine the identity of the winner. Thanks to a clever mix of speed and caution, the one formed by Jur Vrieling and Helwell du Chabus pocketed the bet. A first at this level for the newly formed pair.

“My mare jumped amazingly”, the Dutchman delighted after his victory. “So far, I have competed in five Grands Prix with her and she has always made it into the Top 5. It’s impressive! This mare has an exceptional mentality. At home, she is the nicest person there is. Even though I haven't had her for long, I already have a really good connection with her. I think it’s essential.”

Born in Belgium, to Françoise Legros, this very good Helwell du Chabus, aged eleven in 2024, is a daughter of Elvis Ter Putte, whose production seems to be popular. Campbell du Chabus, his mother, comes from the cross between Orlando and a descendant of Clinton and defends a rather modest lineage, despite a few horses having reached up to 1.50m. Trained by Jean-Philippe Cas, Virginie Thonon and especially by Nadja Peter-Steiner, the representative of the SBS studbook left the Swiss banner at the end of 2021, to take over the reins from Holger Hetzel. The German presented it in competition for a year, during which Ben Maher briefly took the reins. At the end of 2023, the bay appears under the saddle of another German: Sophie Hinners. Already seasoned up to 1.50m, Helwell faced several courses at 1.55m, before revealing herself with Jur Vrieling, who completed her first international course with her on August 30. The next day, the duo took ninth place in a 1.60m event at the CSI 5* in Rome. A first for Diamant de Semilly’s granddaughter! Since then, both have won three victories – in addition to the one gleaned in Frankfurt – and have placed third, first, third and fifth in the 3* Grands Prix of Wiener Neustadt, Herning, Leeuwarden and Poznan. After seeing all his leading horses – Long John Silver 3, Fiumicino van de Kalevallei, Griffin vd Heffinck and Jourdain VDL – leave his stables, the Dutchman seems to have found a choice mount to take over from them!

In Germany, in Frankfurt, Helwell du Chabus reached the finish line in 36”77, with a double scoreless score. Her runner-up, the excellent Omerta Incipit did the same, but in 37”06, synonymous with second place. The gray of Maximilian Weishaupt gave everything but could not offer a Germanic victory to his audience. However, she and her rider took a nice German group shot. Teike Friedrichsen, at the reins of the remarkable Greece 5, could have won with his time of 35''85, but left a pole down. This in no way calls into question the talent of this daughter of Mylord Carthago and Online IX (Quinar), crowned best living broodmare in Holstein in 2023 thanks to her seventeen foals, all of which she carried herself! Also a jump-off rider, Gerrit Nieberg, winner of the legendary Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen in 2022, took fourth position on Ping Pong van de Lentamel, his nine-year-old piebald gelding by Emerald van't Ruytershof, in due to four penalty points, recorded on their second course of the day. This performance is the best of the pair at this level.

Thanks to the fastest four-point run in the initial act, Christian Kukuk completes this German quadruplet in the company of Chageorge, a nine-year-old nugget that he has been revealing for a few weeks and whose third mother, Georgia, is the progenitor, out of more than twenty descendants registered on Horsetelex, of Balou du Rouet, Balissimo, Chatinue or even the exceptional Cornet's Balou, alias Balou du Reventon. Just that!

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