International results: Bettendorf brothers together on the podium
Luxembourgers in Spain
Odile Gierech continues to make her rounds in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, as part of the “Andalucía Sunshine Tour 2026.” Over the past ten days she again achieved several noteworthy results, such as 7th place in the CSI 4* Grand Prix over 1.55 meters, which she took on Cuba Libre de Nevada. The pair was one of eight to reach the jump-off. Gierech and the twelve-year-old gelding, however, had two knockdowns there, which ruined a better placing. Last week she finished third in the final for six-year-olds with Ukbra and added three more top-10 placings with Leeske, Craquant and Kiss-me.
Several Luxembourgers, including the Bettendorf brothers, were in their saddles in Valencia (E). Basile Bettendorf, for example, placed tenth on the 2019-born Vecellio in a jump-off over 1.30 meters for seven-year-old horses. The same pair did even better a day later with a 4th spot in a 1.30/1.35 m class. Basile also took a 7th rank on Higgins Red in a CSI 3* competition over 1.30 m, and he finished second in a 1.35 m class of the CSI 1* Classic Tour behind Antonio Matos Almeida (P) on Cornetton Rouge. This was followed by a 5th place, again on Higgins Red, also over 1.35 m. He also reached the top step: in the jump-off of a 1.45 m competition Basile Bettendorf and Poivre Bleu du Gibet won ahead of Fraser Reed (GB) on Ses Jumeirah and Cyril Bouvard (F) with Gangster d’Eifel.
His brother Victor reached the podium on the ten-year-old Galaxie de Bornat in a 1.40 m two-phases competition. With a clear round in 32.75 seconds he had to concede the win to Pieter Jan Anthonissen (B, Liberte la Cita, 31.97″) and second place to Michal Kazmierczak (PL, Roi van’t Hoog Hemelrijk, 32.73″). The 36-year-old was second with Champion de la Roque in a 1.40 m competition behind Hannah Tiley (GB) and Capistelle. The following day the world No. 67 finished 7th with Globe Trotter in a 1.35 m class and 5th over 1.40 m with Achy Breaky Heart. In the jump-off of a 1.40 m class, Bettendorf and Champion de la Roque placed second behind Henk van de Pol (NL) and Only You de Kaluri.
The Bettendorf brothers scored a family one-two after the jump-off of another 1.40 m contest: in 36.84 Basile won on Veyron ahead of his older brother, who was second on Achy Breaky Heart in 37.95. Geoffroy de Coligny (F) and Charofino had to give way to the two Luxembourgers. This was followed by 7th place for Victor Bettendorf on Gibbs un Prince in the Grand Prix over 1.50 m, in which he had reached the jump-off together with ten other combinations.
Luxembourgers in Belgium
Two more Luxembourg show jumpers, Yola Schartz and Christian Weier, had signed up at a CSI 2* event in Ghent (B). Good results came there as well. For example, Weier was second with Dante Achter in a 1.40 m two-phase competition. The young Schartz did very well: after a 5th place on Le Petit Louis over 1.30 m and a 9th spot over 1.20 m on Teepee D’alene, the nineteen-year-old took victory in a CSI 2* two-phase competition over 1.30 m, clocking 26.50 seconds in the second round ahead of Belgians Brecht Goossens (Kheops de Bois-Messange, 26.88″) and Jan Claeys (Daya van de Brobosch, 27.20″).
Article also to be published in Lëtzebuerger Bauer. Translated from German by AI and adjusted by Paul Krier.