Earlier this month Gates made her debut with the stallion at the international horse show in Lier. Smolders' last performance with Capital Colnardo was at the cSI5* Waregem Horse Week in September.
Together with Smolders the stallion has had an amazing year. The pair jumped in the spotlights at the Nations Cup competition in Hickstead and jumped to victory in New York and Basel. Further they got placed in Lanaken, Rome and Zürich.