The American KWPN bred stallion Idocus has been assigned to Dutch Marlies van Baalen for further dressage training and showing until the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Owner Christine McCarthy made this deal with the Van Baalen family after Idocus' last European success at the Zwolle International Stallion Show March 2001. Young Rider Marlies van Baalen will be competing Idocus at Grand Prix level in the near future under the supervision of her trainer Johan Hinnemann.
The 11-year old Idocus is by Equador out of the keur mare Eretha (by Zonneglans x Fresco). He flew to Europe early February 2001 for the KWPN Stallion Licensing, although he was already approved in the U.S.A. Idocus had to pass the short performance test, which he did in April. The bay stallion is currently approved for the Dutch KWPN studbook and his semen is available at Team Nijhof in Geesteren, The Netherlands.
Born in the Netherlands in 1990, Idocus was exported to the United States as a foal. In 1991 he was shown in hand at the Dutch Keuring at Iron Spring Farm and received a first premium and placed 4th in the "Top Ten" yearlings. He was raised at Royal Starr Farm in New York up until he was three years old.
In 1993 Idocus went to the 100 day Stallion Performance Test. The testing site was in Keswick, Virginia, at November Hill Farm run by Gerd Zuther. He was the youngest and greenest stallion out of the 18 stallions that entered. He went on to become the Grand Champion and held the highest jumping score of all the stallions. Idocus then went on to become the Grand Champion of show at the prestigious Dressage at Devon in September of 1994.
Idocus rose to stardom under former Olympian dressage rider Lendon Gray, from Bedford Hills, NY. Gray's star pupil Courtney King took over the reins and showed the stallion at Grand Prix level. In Europe, the duo made its strongest impression by finishing third in the Grand Prix freestyle (70% score) at the Zwolle International Stallion Show.
Photos © Dirk Caremans