STEVE GUERDAT WINS THE PRELUDE OF THE SPARKASSEN-YOUNGSTERS-CUP WITH AN ASPIRING TALENT
39 seven and eight-year-old potential Rolex Grand Prix winners of tomorrow competed in the first class of the Sparkassen-Youngsters-Cup 2025 today. The victory went to the Olympic gold medallist, Steve Guerdat, and his prospective future star.
Steve Guerdat’s upcoming star answers to the name of Lusso Gih Z, an eight-year-old Zangersheide gelding, which is a descendant of the Holsteiner line founder, Lord, via his sire, Light My Fire, and who also descends from a Holsteiner dam line. Today, the Aachen Soers got a glimpse or what the chestnut gelding might be capable of one day. He galloped and jumped effortlessly to victory with a clear round in 37.42 seconds. Whereby Guerdat hadn’t even gone all out to win.
“I never do too much with my young horses. I take them with me so they can gather experience, not because of the results. He was very relaxed today. Not quite as good as on the warm-up area, but still very good.” In other words, neither the rider, nor the horse had to give 100 percent to win. It is thus no surprise that Guerdat is placing high hopes in Lusso Gih Z.
Guerdat reported that he purchased Luss Gih Z as a six-year-old, together with the owners of his top horses Dynamix de Belheme and Venard de Cerisy. Guerdat is convinced that Lusso can also reach the same heights as his European Champion mare and Spruce Meadows winner. “He was still very green when we bought him, but I thought he could perhaps be our next star. And up until now – he has shown great character, he is not always totally focused, which makes my life a bit difficult now and again. But he is very talented and we are convinced that he will be my next Grand Prix horse one day.”
Perhaps one which, the man, who has won pretty much everything there is to win, will notch up his first victory in the Grand Prix of Aachen with.
The second fastest pair were Hessel Hoekstra (NED) and the former KWPN premium stallion, performance test and serial winner in the Dutch stallion competitions, New Pleasure VDL, who jumped clear in a time of 38.01 seconds. The For Pleasure son was thus also the best seven-year-old in the class. Third place went to Ireland, represented by Shane Sweetnam and the BWP-bred gelding, Rural Juror SCF out of Presley Boy (0/38.40 seconds).
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Full results here