THE NETHERLANDS (by Claartje van Andel) Two stallions contributed to the team gold dressage medal for the Netherlands at the European Championships in Aachen. They were the only 10-year-old Arlando NOP (Paddox x Mytens xx) ridden by 27-year-old Diederik van Silfhout. And Glock’s Johnson (Jazz x Flemmingh) shown by seasoned campaigner Hans Peter Minderhoud. Each stallion deserves his own profile, but I will start with Arlando.

In fact, Arlando will reveal an amazing story about views and insider knowl- edge with regard to both his rider Diederik van Silfhout and his father Alex van Silfhout.

Arlando was sired by Paddox out of ‘ster pref prest’ mare Herlanda (Mytens xx
- Zolanda keur pref x Nur- primus). The uncle and brother in law, Jan Folmer of De Nieuwe Heuvel Stud, took care of first introducing Arlando to Diederik and Alex van Silfhout before the stallion was selected at the KWPN stallion show in 2008. “He was incredibly beautiful!

With an abundance of elegance, blessed with a beautiful and intelligent head. I have to admit he was rather small. Almost more neck than horse!”, Alex van Silfhout remembers ver y well. After Arlando’s selection at the KWPN stallion show, he was given to nephew Diederik van Silfhout. Despite his young age, Diederik was already familiar with the line. He knew the sire Paddox like the back of his hand: in 2006, as a junior, he was rid- ing Ferro son Paddox to success, winning individual gold at the European dressage championships. Who would have guessed that eight years later he would ride the Paddox son Arlando, winning team bronze at WEG in Caen 2014, then gold at the 2015 Europeans...

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