Jonelle Price’s 5* debutant Capitaine de Hus Z has shown he is one for the future with a fourth place in the CSI5*-L at Luhmuhlen in Germany.

The 14-year-old gelding steadily worked his way up the leaderboard through the event, scoring 33.1 penalty points in the dressage for seventh, up to fifth after the cross country with a clear round and time penalties, and topping it off with a clear round and .8 time in the showjumping for a final tally of 41.1.

Jonelle was rapt with him. “I am delighted with Capitaine de Hus Z. It was his first time at the level. It is always a little bit of an unknown quantity but he really didn’t do anything wrong from start to finish,” she said. The dressage had been a “true reflection” of where he is at. “We had some real highlights in there but just a few mistakes cost us on the scoreboard. He really backed it up with two fantastic jumping phases.”

The horse is owned by David and Karie Thomson and Jonelle said it was fantastic for them to have another horse at 5* level. “I think he could be a great asset to New Zealand for the next few years and that is obviously a big mission of David and Karie’s is to help us create some horsepower so I am hugely grateful to them for the ride. I am looking forward to seeing where to for him from here.”

Jonelle was also eighth aboard Grappa Nera on 55.9, with James Avery and his 5* debutant Dallas 13 10th on 61.4. Vicky Browne-Cole and Cutting Edge retired on the cross country while Tim Price on Happy Boy and Abby Jones with Henton Audacious were both eliminated during the same phase.

The class was won by Caroline Harris (GBR) aboard D Day on 31.1 who topped the leaderboard as the only combination to come home clear and inside time in the cross country and added nothing during the showjumping.

Samantha Lissington and Lucas Stone were the best of the Kiwis in the CCI4*-S German Championship class, placing seventh on 37.5 with Tim Price and Jarillo in ninth on 43.5. Hollie Field and Ballycoskerry Regal Diamond were 18th on 50.9 and Dan Jocelyn aboard Blackthorn Cruise 29th on 58.7.

Samantha Lissington and Delarado retired on the cross country. The 51-strong class was won by the untouchable Julia Krajewski (GER) aboard Uelzener’s Nickel who led from the get-go to finish on 27.7.

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By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison