Germany’s Daniel Deusser and the seventeen-year-old Zangersheide stallion Tobago Z were victorious at Jumping Mechelen in the Léon Melchior Open Sires of the World. Thirty-three stallions who were eight years old or older competed in the CSI 5*-W event. Remarkably, this was not the first time we have seen Deusser and Tobago Z win this class; seven years ago, the combination also emerged victorious in this same competition.
Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z has has a pedigree full of top performers. For example, his mother, Whoopie C, competed successfully at the 1.60m level under Belgian rider Yves Vanderhasselt. The Zangersheide stallion is the son of Preferent stallion, Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve. Tangelo currently sits 29th on the WBFSH Sire Rankings for showjumping horses. On Tangelo’s damline, we see four stallions that competed at the international level, and in 2004, Tangelo himself made his international jumping debut under Dutch Roelof Bril.
Tobago Z’s mother, Whoopie C, has produced three horses who have competed at the 1.50m level and higher, including Tobago. She is the daughter of the KWPN stallion, Mr. Blue. The grey stallion was initially not selected by the KWPN Stallion Commission. The reason seems uncertain, but his owner in 1996, Sjors Burg, did state that the stallion was a roarer, potentially explaining the decision. Despite this, five years after his death, in 2011, he was awarded Predicate status at the KWPN Stallion Show. Mr Blue competed at the Grand Prix level and has produced numerous top competitors, including the current 9th place sire on the WBFSH rankings, Zirocco Blue VDL.
Tobago Z has numerous achievements to his name; he claimed the title of the most successful horse of the 2018 Global Champions League; in 2019, he had three podium finishes in a GCL Grand Prix; and he has placed in World Champs and multiple Grands Prix, including a second place at the Grand Prix of Aachen.
Congratulations to Daniel, Tobago Z and their entire team on this exceptional performance.