Leeuwarden, The Netherlands – October 16, 2026 – The second qualifier for the CSI3* Grand Prix has just concluded with the €28,200 Lasaulec & Velzen Textielreiniging Prize CSI 3*— a speed class (won by the fastest clear round) featuring fences set at 1.50m. A total of 44 horse-and-rider combinations took to the arena at the WTC Expo. The Netherlands’ own Sanne Thijssen (NED) guided the nine-year-old mare Farah Z (by For Pleasure) across the finish line in 57.13 seconds, narrowly securing the victory.
Second place went to the Belgian champion, Koen Vereecke (BEL), who rode the ten-year-old mare Quinoa de la Liniere (by Mosito van het Hellehof) to a time of 57.27 seconds. Third place was claimed by Manuel Fernandez Saro (ESP) and the eleven-year-old gelding Baloys PS (by Baloubet du Rouet), who finished with a time of 60.15 seconds.
Top Three
Sanne: ‘It wasn’t actually the plan for Farah Z to compete here, but her owners, Freek and Corien Hoogenboom, are from this area, so I decided to bring her along at the last minute. They were here today, and it’s wonderful how things turned out. Farah is in great form; she recently placed second twice in big classes in Rome. I’ve been riding her for a year and a half now. She had reached a certain level and needed to progress, which is how she came to me. I’m in the fortunate position of being able to enter almost any competition I choose, and now we’ll see what the future holds for her. I can say with 100% certainty that the future looks bright. This mare has an incredible attitude, and I truly believe she has the potential to reach the very highest level. Did I expect this win? With this horse, I’m never without a chance—if I ride a clear round, I’m confident that I’ll finish in the top three.’
51 Weeks at Horse Shows
Anyone who follows the equestrian media will realize that Sanne spends a lot of time at horse shows—a great deal of time, in fact. Sanne explains: “That’s true; 51 weeks a year, to be precise. The only time I’m home is for Christmas. I have the opportunity to do this right now—I’m young, I have plenty of energy, I’m in good physical shape, and my body is still up for it. Obviously, I won’t be able to keep this pace up forever, but for now, I’m seizing the chance. I have a stable rider who works with my younger horses, and I try to take them along to shows early in the week so I can stay up to date on their progress.”
Con Quidam
Since we’re speaking with Sanne, we’d also like to know how her former top horse, Con Quidam, is doing. Sanne and Con Quidam were as iconic a pairing as Friesland and the Elfstedentocht (the famous Eleven Cities Tour). Sanne says: “He’s doing well. He still has his own stall and is still being ridden—he enjoys lovely outings in the woods. My mother acts as his ‘entertainer’; he still craves attention and is very good at letting us know exactly what he wants.”
Final Results – €28,200 Lasaulec & Velzen Textielreiniging Prize CSI 3*
1) Sanne Thijssen (NED) & Farah Z – 0 – 57.13
2) Koen Vereecke (BEL) & Quinoa de La Liniere – 0 – 57.27
3) Manuel Fernandez Saro (ESP) & Baloys PS – 0 – 60.15
Source: News Release from the Indoor Friesland Media Team
Photos: © Digishots
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Categories: CSI 3*, English, Jumper News Nederland
