It has turned out more than once that PSC Lichtenvoorde is the cradle of future talent. Sunday afternoon Jourdain VDL won bronze at the NK jumping with Jur Vrieling, after we saw him jump several times in 1.40m Grand Prix in Vragender with Alex Gill. Steven Veldhuis will not be surprised if his 1.40m winner from Saturday afternoon also jumps at the NK next year. “He does have the scope,” the rider says of Blom’s Larado O, an eight-year-old offspring of the brand-new Dutch champion Grandorado TN with Willem Greve.
The 1.40m Grand Prix on King’s Day was part of the annual PSC Spring Jumping. Despite the NK in Deurne where many riders rode, the starting lists were full. For the main class 33 riders registered. Six made it to the jump-off in this course designed by Caroline Verhoeve. “When I went here, I didn’t expect to win,” confessed Steven Veldhuis. “I was lucky that a few favorites stayed out of the jump-off with a mistake.”
Normally Steven Veldhuis is tipped as a favorite, given his always smooth and efficient riding but Blom’s Larado O of owners Rinus Blom and Robert Muntel does not immediately look like the fastest horse. “That’s true, but he has a lot of gallop and riding something bold suits him well. He has a lot of power and I notice that he gets sharper the higher it gets. The development he went through last year is really special. I have a feeling that he will run the NK next year,” sounds promising.
Conor Drain rode eight-year-old Quichin di Cabra (Don’t Touch Tiji Hero) to second prize. Amber van Marle, a student of Steven Veldhuis, was third on nine-year-old Kansas (Baltic VDL). “It was another great competition,” Veldhuis said. “It’s always a learning arena here in Vragender anyway for the younger horses. Everything is right, good parking, good ground and every year something is upgraded.”
From the hands of hostess Nory Morssinkhof, he received his second PSC Lichtenvoorde Trophy. The last one was from 2021. “I have often come second here anyway, with Iregina for example. She has done nice things for me, but is going out of the sport now. We want to have her covered.”
Steven Veldhuis still has few horses for international work. “Two eight-year-olds. Larado O and Laconique. I’m going to ride CSI2* Lummen and hope we can start here at Outdoor Gelderland, a CSI3. And then I have CSI3 CSI Twente in the planning. See if Larado O can jump another level higher. Meanwhile, I can drive back and forth to train the younger horses at home. Only when I’m in Lummen, that’s not possible.”
Auteur and pictures: Wendy Scholten
Top-6 1.40m Grand Prix (Saturday, April 26):
1. Steven Veldhuis, Blom’s Larado O (0/0-41.52)
2. Conor Drain, Quichin di Cabra (0/0-41.93)
3. Amber van Marle, Kansas (0/0-42.77)
4. Kristian Johannesson, Ebalia (0/0-43.77)
5. Jurre van Bommel, Georgia Balia NL (0/0-45.24)
6. Lianne Korevaar, Diamond For Pleasure (0/4-45.30)
