ome horses take months to settle in after a rider change. Others prefer to skip the adaptation phase altogether. Come On Z clearly belongs to the latter category.

Just a few weeks after leaving French rider Inès Joly’s stable, the 9-year-old Zangersheide gelding has already opened his account under American rider Alessandra Volpi. The destination? Gassin, for their first competition together. The outcome? A victory on their very first weekend.

A flying start that looks every bit like a perfectly executed transfer.

A trader’s eye

Behind the deal was Belgian horseman Steve Tinti, who acted as intermediary in the sale.

« Alessandra started in Gassin with a few smaller classes. And straight away, during the first weekend, she won a 1.40m class. Then on Sunday, she jumped clear in the two-star Grand Prix. " he explains.

A horse he had been keeping an eye on for several years.

« It’s a horse I’ve followed ever since he was seven. I had already watched him in Qatar. I’ve always liked this horse. " And for good reason...

An Already Impressive Résumé with Inès Joly

Before crossing the Atlantic, Come On Z had already built a strong reputation under Inès Joly.

The son of Comme Il Faut out of a VDL Zirocco Blue mare, bred in Denmark by Jørgen Eriksen, had notably made his mark at the highest national level by securing third place in the French Senior Championship. A result that confirmed the progression he had already shown on the international stage: a podium finish in a 5* class in Doha earlier this year, runner-up in the 2* Grand Prix of Valkenswaard last season, among many other highlights from the partnership.

For Steve Tinti, the horse’s qualities were never in doubt.

« He’s incredibly careful, highly competitive, and has all the scope. A fantastic competition horse. A true Grand Prix horse. »

A description that perfectly matches the gelding’s statistics.

The clear-round machine

What stands out about Come On Z, beyond the results themselves, is his remarkable consistency.

« If you look at his clear-round percentage, it’s unbelievable. This horse never touches a rail. " Over the past year, he has posted an impressive 72% clear-round rate.

A highly sought-after quality in a sport where the difference between winning and losing is often measured in mere millimetres.

In Gassin, it didn’t take long for the horse to live up to his reputation. It’s hard to imagine a better way to start a new chapter.

(Photo cover © Alexandra Volpi