A Legacy Continued – Wilhelm Genn Pilots Zhappy Z to First $30,000 Grand Prix Win at Winter Classic 8
31 JAN 26 Wilmington, OH
Wilmington, Ohio – Saturday evening at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington (WEC) was one for the books as Wilhelm Genn continued his winning legacy aboard his own Zhappy Z (Zirocco Blue VDL x Happy Z).
Not only did Genn pilot his special mare to her first career Grand Prix win in just her second Grand Prix start, but he also claimed the second-place spot aboard Klaus Mauer’s Katinka (Kannan x Maylin) as the only two double-clear efforts of the class.
Genn was “on cloud nine,” he smiled. “It’s a dream come true, especially to do this at my age on a horse I developed in connection with Elizabeth and Greg Houtsma. I rode her mother, Happy Z. Now we have Zhappy’s four-year-old daughter, who we will start in April and who looks just like her. I couldn’t be more excited tonight.”
When walking the course, Genn was thrilled with the challenge presented by course designer Robert Barton.
“Walking the course, I thought it was beautiful, but definitely not easy,” he noted. “It didn’t matter if there were 50 entries or nine; it was a real 1.40m Grand Prix track with 16 obstacles. That’s a lot to jump indoors. But I love that. I love a challenge, so I really enjoyed the course when I walked it.”
In preparing both mares for the class, Genn shared the differences in their personalities in the schooling ring.
“We hacked both horses beforehand. Katinka, as green as she is, already acts like a total professional. She was calm, quiet, and very settled. Zhappy was the opposite,” Genn laughed.
“Even though she hacked for about 35 minutes, she came out on fire and distracted. The course wasn’t one you could ride with a horse that wasn’t focused, so I had to flat her more than I wanted to in the schooling area. I also jumped bigger than I wanted to, so she’d be ready when it got a little bigger. But she answered unbelievably in the ring.”
Genn returned first to the jump-off with Katinka, a 10-year-old Oldenburg mare, and posted a quick, smooth clear round in 30.989 seconds.
Cornet Star (Cornetto x Conqua Z), an 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, was next to follow with Brian Leach in the irons. The duo secured a leading time of 29.22 seconds but lowered a rail, ultimately finishing third.
Saving the best for last, Genn entered the ring with his eight-year-old Warmblood mare in top form, delivering an impressive and fast clear round to earn her first Grand Prix win in 29.611 seconds, living up to her mother’s legacy in style.
“That was the fastest I’ve ever let her go in a jump-off, and she answered every single question,” Genn said. “I knew there was one less stride from four to five and again from the blue oxer to the vertical. Katinka is a little lazier and shorter-strided, so I knew I needed to play it safe and add a stride with her. But I felt that if I caught the first oxer going forward, I could keep going with Zhappy.”
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