By Steef Roest / KWPN
Photography: Dirk Caremans

The Olympic Games concluded with seven medals for Dutch breeding. While Dutch equestrians celebrated Maikel van der Vleuten’s showjumping bronze, Dutch breeders enjoyed a moment of triumph in Paris.

Ilex secured silver for the American team in the showjumping team competition, while I.Amelusina R 51 earned bronze for France. The British bronze-winning dressage team included Glamourdale, Fame, and Jägerbomb, with Glamourdale claiming individual bronze. In eventing, the 17-year-old Cekatinka secured team bronze for Japan. A reflection with various Olympic breeders.

Thirteen! Not unlucky for the Dutch

Thirteen KWPN jumpers with two acknowledged stallions appeared in Paris, with high expectations for Ilex and Mclain Ward (USA). The duo had already impressed with a second-place finish in Aachen and top-three finishes in Wellington. His rider had only been partnered with Ilex since January, Mclain having been tipped off about the Baltic VDL son a year earlier, but Ilex (out of Calendula x Chin Chin) wasn’t for sale at the time. However, with prospects in big sport, Mclain and his wife managed to invest. Their second-place finish in Aachen heightened expectations for Paris, and with a flawless round in the team qualifier, Ilex and Mclain Ward contributed to the American team’s silver medal.
Building a breeding program is a lifelong endeavor, and sadly, many breeders of medal-winning horses are no longer with us. This is also true for Ilex’s breeder Gijs Maris, the former veterinarian from Berg en Dal, who tragically passed away in a traffic accident two years ago. His first successful broodmare was Havinia, one of the most notable jumpers of her time. Bred by the Knegt family from Baarle-Nassau, Havinia, the great-grandmother of Ilex, scored 93 points in her IBOP and reached the highest level in sport. Havinia was also the beginning of his collaboration with jumping rider Don Sas, who rode horses for him for about 20 years. “Unfortunately, his mother Calendula passed away early. When I jumped with her, it felt like being launched off a trampoline. It’s such a shame she only produced Ilex,” says the showjumper from Dreumel.

Exceptional jumping ability

According to Sas, “I had Ilex under saddle for a year. He came to me green from the field, and his free jumping was truly exceptional, clearing the uprights with ease. I immediately made an offer, but Gijs recognized his quality and wanted to see him properly trained. That exceptional jumping ability has always been there, Ilex has so much potential. At four, he was tall and lanky, so I thought he could use a few months of rest. You need to be careful with such a good horse. I was disappointed that I didn’t get him back under saddle, but it was wonderful to see him again at the Olympics. I’ve ridden many horses from this line and still breed with Havinia’s offspring. They are blood horses – willing to work, though some can be sensitive. Once you’ve won their trust, they’ll do anything for you, but they can be late bloomers. All the showjumpers bred by Gijs that have competed at 1m40 or higher come from Havinia; this line produces so much sport.”
In the individual qualifier, Ilex had just one pole down, and his time was too slow for the final. However, his rider remains confident about the future: “It’s all a bit easier when you know your horse clears the fences with great ease.”

Team bronze for I.Amelusina R 51

From the penultimate year of breeding at Stal Roelofs from den Ham comes I.Amelusina R 51, also out of a Chin Chin mare. The Dexter R son (out of B.Amelusina R22 elite prest EPTM-spr PROK) incurred only three time faults in the team final, helping France secure team bronze by less than half a second. For the cautious chestnut stallion, this was his first championship, and for his rider, Simon Delestre, his third Olympics. The pair finished 17th in the individual final.
The French team’s bronze came at the expense of the Dutch team, where Kim Emmen and Imagine admirably stepped in for Willem Greve. For breeder Conny Viscaal, the Olympics were an emotional rollercoaster. “Initially, we went as reserves after a good season. I had no idea if Imagine would get to compete, and suddenly he did. He jumped so well. For the individual final, he was one of only three horses that had jumped three clear rounds. It was unfortunate that fatigue set in on the last day. I really wished it for Kim, but to me, they’re Olympic champions.”
Imagine (Cassini Gold - Nigel ster prest sport-spr x Lord Z) was initially ridden at the highest level by Irishman Conor Drain. Kim Emmen has only been riding the grey for a relatively short time. Conny Viscaal, who comes from Albergen, recalls; “What’s happened in the last few weeks is like a fairy tale. We knew we had a horse that jumped really well, but there’s a big difference between good jumping and the Olympics. Kim is getting even more out of him than Conor did. It’s bittersweet that my husband René, who passed away a year and a half ago, didn’t get to see this. He should have been here. I had a small bag of his ashes in my handbag; in a way, he was there with us.”

Ermitage Kalone impresses

With relatively little experience – his team qualifier was only his fifth international 1m60 course – the Catoki son Ermitage Kalone (out of Bellaventura Kalone x Kannan, bred by M. Dessalles) convincingly jumped clear in both qualifiers. However, in the team and individual medal rounds the KWPN-approved stallion made just a few too many mistakes, preventing a high ranking. His rider, Gilles Thomas, is optimistic about the future, though: “We learned a lot together in Paris. Ermitage Kalone is only 10 years old; hopefully, there will be more championships to come.”

Leone Jei

For Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs, the championship was disappointing. After a fourth-place finish in Aachen, he had high expectations with Leone Jei and, in the team qualifier, Fuchs admitted he had too much confidence in his abilities, causing him to lose focus. The son of Baltic VDL (out of Dara ster prest IBOP-spr PROK x Corland, bred by G.M. van Mersbergen from Udenhout) incurred too many faults in the team qualifier, which excluded the Swiss team from the final. In the individual final round, Fuchs lost a stirrup and admirably jumped half the course without it, resulting in a fault on the very last fence.

Other Dutch horses

Finn Lente (Gaillard de la Pomme - Cherlynn Lente x Colandro, bred by W.J.M. Nijensteen from Dalfsen) and Argentine rider José Maria Larocca also incurred too many faults in the individual final. Israeli team member Robin Muhr, riding Galaxy HM (Quality Time - Cleopatra stb prest PROK x Crawford, bred by Henk Mentink from Zelhem), reached the team final, but failed to qualify for the individual final.
Jaguar King WD (Zirocco Blue VDL - Eye Queen WD ster IBOP-spr PROK D-OC x Toulon, bred by Willem Dekker from Benningbroek) and Khaled Almobty started individually but also didn’t make it to the final. They were followed by Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) and Fellow Castlefield (Je t’Aime Flamenco - Bred by Liefhebber reg.A EPTM-spr D-OC x Twister, bred by M. Liefhebber from Hoornaar).
Figor (Querly-Elvis - Voberlina stb prest x Indoctro, bred by H.W. van Lindenberg from Eefde) and Tiffany Foster (CAN) also had two jumping faults, as did Hialita B (Emerald van’t Ruytershof - Dialita B ster PROK x Vaillant, bred by Manege Beukers from Oudkarspel) and Thaisa Erwin (AUS).
In 52nd place were Issem (Quality Time - Elle stb-ext x Clinton, bred by J. Saaltink from Laren) and Adam Grzegorzewski (POL), followed by fellow countryman David Kubiak and Flash Blue B (Mr.Blue - Perla ster prest sport-spr x Pionier, bred by Stal Burg from Hoogeloon). Expert (Ustinov - Miralineke elite pref prest PROK x Purioso, bred by M. Mittendorff from Overasselt) and Estonian My Relander had difficulties at the water jump, and the Netherlands-based rider decided to end the course.

A lot of Dutch dressage blood

Although there were no medals for the Dutch dressage team at the Paris Olympics, the prominence of Dutch dressage horse breeding was undeniable. More than half of the dressage horses carried the bloodlines of a KWPN-bred or KWPN-approved stallion. In the team competition, the winning German team included Bluetooth, a descendant of Bordeaux, while the silver-medal-winning Danes had Vayron, a Vitalis descendant, and Zepter, a son of Blue Hors Zack. The bronze medal went to Great Britain and, as usual, they had three Dutch-bred horses of exceptional quality.
“We’ll never experience this again,” sighed the breeders of Fame after the team competition. The Bordeaux son (out of Bonaventura ster sport-dres prest by Rhodium) earned a bronze team medal, and made Maja Gerritsen-van Klei from Leerdam emotional. “We see so much of Bonaventura in Fame: that look, the charisma, the work ethic, and the intelligence. It makes it very special for us. Still, we never thought we’d be standing here.”

Bronze for Glamourdale

“When I’m no longer around, Glamourdale will have his successes,” predicted Joop Rodenburg, who passed away seven years ago. His words proved prophetic. Rodenburg only witnessed one dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses; later, Glamourdale went on to win World Championship gold as a seven-year-old, followed by more medals in Herning and Kür silver in Riesenbeck. In Paris, the son of Lord Leatherdale (out of Thuja stb pref prest x Negro) won two bronze medals. “My father always thought Glamourdale would be something special; he would have loved the Olympics,” said his daughter Jolanda Rodenburg. “We’re all very proud. Of course, we knew he had a chance, but I thought for a moment he would end up in fourth place. These medals are really for his rider and owners: all credits to Lottie Fry and Gertjan and Anne van Olst. They were the ones who made him great.”

Hermès just misses the podium

The KWPN stallion Hermès had a strong championship, though he finished in the somewhat frustrating fourth place twice in the medal competitions. According to his rider, Dinja van Liere, the son of Easy Game (out of Bukkie elite EPTM-dres pref prest x Flemmingh) was in top form. In the final round, Hermès, bred by the Gijsbers family from Loosbroek, performed flawlessly in the piaffe and passage tour. Set to the music of the Spice Girls, the stallion presented a beautiful picture, coming very close to the podium.
For Becky Moody and her self-bred Jägerbomb, it was a dream championship. The British rider embodies harmonious riding, finishing eighth in the freestyle in her Olympic debut. Moody bred the son of Dante Weltino out of Udysee, a Jazz daughter she also trained up to Grand Prix level.

Indian Rock

Emmelie Scholtens didn’t quite have the championship she had hoped for. Although Indian Rock secured a spot in the Kür to Music during the Grand Prix, too many mistakes were made in the Grand Prix Special, which determined the team medals. The powerful Apache son (out of Crisjena keur pref prest x Vivaldi) eventually finished 11th in the freestyle.
Hans Peter Minderhoud also hoped for a different championship, but Glock’s Toto Jr. was not fully focused during the warm-up for the Grand Prix, preventing qualification for the freestyle. In the Special, the son of Totilas (out of Desperada x Desperados, bred by Judith and Sönke Schmidt from Naumburg) performed much better, but the pair failed to be awarded higher marks.

KWPN Select Sale

The Belgian team finished fifth in the team competition, thanks to the performance of Flambeau (Ampère - Lakarla elite sport-dres prest PROK x Zeoliet, bred by Jose van Eijkelenburg from Oisterwijk). With Larissa Pauluis, Flambeau, who was selected and sold via the KWPN Select Sale, performed two good tests. France placed sixth at the Games in their home country, thanks to the performance of Gotilas du Feuillard (Totilas out of Vital Hit S. ster PROK by Ferro, bred by Unlimited Stables from Lunteren) and ridden by Corentin Pottier.
Buriel K.H. claimed seventh place with the Swedish team. The son of Osmium (out of Ronja K.H. ster preferent prestatie x Krack C, bred by P. Bakker from Oterleek) participated in his third Olympics with Juliette Ramel, but he no longer displayed the form of previous years.

Aachen winner

Aachen winner Jewel’s Goldstrike (Bretton Woods - Zilia, ster pref prest PROK x Scandic) did not qualify for the freestyle, but Julio Mendoza Loor found it emotional to represent Ecuador at his first Olympic Games. For Morocco’s Yessin Rahmouni and the KWPN stallion All At Once (Ampère - Wynona RB elite sport-dres pref prest IBOP-dres D-OC x Gribaldi, bred by Stal 104 BV from Wijdewormer), it was not a given that they would participate in Paris. The rider broke his neck less than six months ago, and his recovery came just in time. The Olympic adventure ended after the Grand Prix, but for Rahmouni, it felt as if he had won a medal.
That same good feeling was shared by Joanna Robinson (FIN), who is based in the Netherlands. She rode Glamouraline in her first Games, where the qualities of the Johnson daughter (out of Anoraline elite IBOP-dres sport-dres PROK x Samba Hit, bred by M.C. Eveleens from Wognum and P. Bleeker from Zuidoostbeemster) were evident. It was the first time since 1988 that the Finns had qualified with an Olympic team.

Americans disappoint

Helix, bred by Angèle Toonen from Odiliapeel (Apache - Zeester T elite pref prest sport-dres D-OC x Jazz), was rather tense during the Grand Prix, but the gelding showed a lot of potential in the piaffe and passage, and under the saddle of Adrienne Lyle just missed qualifying for the freestyle. The 16-year-old Suppenkasper (Spiel-berg out of Upanoeska, keur prest IBOP-dres by Krack C, bred by F. van de Poel from Haps) in the hands of Steffen Peters, didn’t receive the results they were hoping for. While, for Marcus Orlob, the Games ended abruptly when blood was spotted on the leg of Jane (out of Zandra ster x Metall, bred by H.J. van Oort from Eck en Wiel). This meant the championship was over for the Americans immediately after the Grand Prix.

Irish flag

Giraldo, bred by the Eggink family from Lochem, competed under the Irish flag. His rider Abigail Lyle bought the Rousseau son (out of Valenza elite pref prest IBOP-dres PROK x Flemmingh) as a four-years-old in the Netherlands and always knew that the gelding would compete in the Grand Prix. Honnaisseur SJ (Connaisseur - Arilena elite pref prest IBOP-dres PROK x Jazz, bred by J.M. Sanders from Beilen) scored 67.14% in the Grand Prix with Venezuelan Patrica Ferrando. Meanwhile, just below that, with just under 67%, was Chris von Martels (CAN), who rode Eclips (Apache - Kebora ster prest x Ferro, bred by J.T. Hoeks-Erdkamp from Zeeland) in his second Games. The 19-year-old Aquamarijn made her final appearance in Paris with Yvonne Losos de Muñiz (DOM); the United daughter (out of Toermalijn, ster preferent prestatie x Gribaldi, bred by P.A.M. van Kessel from Vorstenbosch) is now retiring.

Bronze for Cekatinka

The mare Cekatinka, previously ridden by New Zealanders Tim and Jonelle Price, won bronze with the Japanese team under the saddle of Ryuzo Kitajima. Bred by Jan Greve, Cekatinka had previously finished eighth in Tryon with Tim Price. The Boekelo winner was purchased by the Japanese in 2019 with an eye on the Tokyo Games, and although Cekatinka did not compete in Tokyo, she did start in Paris. As expected by her rider, the daughter of King Kolibri (out of Katinka x Julio Marier xx) did not perform her best in the dressage test, but she made up for it in the cross-country, where she incurred only time penalties. During the second veterinary inspection, Cekatinka was withdrawn, and a reserve rider was used for the final showjumping phase. However, despite not completing the full championship, Cekatinka can still claim an Olympic medal.
First Olympic medal

This Olympic medal is the first for her breeder, Jan Greve from Haaksbergen. “As a three-year-old, Cekatinka already showed great potential as an eventing horse. I sent her to Judy Bradwell for further training, and she always showed a lot of talent. She was a young horse champion in Burghley and has performed well throughout her career. This is a line of intelligent horses with a lot of blood. Katinka was an exceptionally intelligent mare. You need that in this sport; a less smart horse won’t make it, and that’s what makes eventing the most beautiful sport for me. I am still breeding, among others, with a Quint daughter out of Cekatinka’s dam. From her, I have a four-years-old by King Kolibri who will soon compete in the young horse championship in Burghley,” says the 2023 Breeder of the Year.

Boonzaaijer: best Dutch rider

The best Dutch rider was Janneke Boonzaaijer, competing with Champ de Tailleur and completing the Olympic cross-country course within the time allowed. On top of that, with a successful dressage test and two clear show jumping rounds, the rider from Renswoude finished in ninth place. The son of Quidam de Revel (out of Vera stb-ext prest x Oberon du Moulin) was bred by Arie Hoogendoorn and Wim ten Pas and descends from a Holsteiner performance line that has produced several international showjumpers... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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