Although Dutch dressage legend Anky van Grunsven has brightly won the Intermediaire I freestyle at the CDI-W Mechelen aboard the 9 year old Hanoverian Salinero, her future was darkened
by the departure of two horses from her barn in Gemert, The Netherlands.
The KWPN licensed stallion Junior STV (by Uniform) has left her barn to become the new Grand Prix mount of Danish dressage rider Anne van Olst. Van Olst, maiden name Koch, is married to Dutch stallion owner and show jumping rider Gert-Jan van Olst and lives with him in The Netherlands. Junior STV will be Anne's new Grand Prix horse as former mount Any How died on her. Junior STV has been trained by Van Grunsven since he was a youngster. In 1994, Junior STV and Anky won the very first Pavo Cup Finals for 4-year old horses. One year later, they conquered the five-year-old class at the Pavo Cup Finals in Ermelo. Junior STV was offered to Anne van Olst by Anky herself and the dapple grey will be Van Olst's hopeful for the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez de la Frontera in Spain.
Also saying good-bye to Anky van Grunsven's barn is Kir Royal. This chestnut KWPN gelding by Apollonius xx was owned by Japanese Serimachi. The Japanese amateur Grand Prix rider occassionally visited Van Grunsven's barn to ride his horse and compete at a few international shows but he was never able to score above 60%. Anky continued to train "Kareltje" his Grand Prix movements and regularly used him as exhibition horse for clinics and symposia. Their last show together was the CDI Maastricht where Kir Royal was used for the Essent Quadrille Championship, which they won together with three other Gestion team riders. Kir Royal is sold to Japanese Kiso who trains in Germany.
Images copyrighted: Dirk Caremans - No Reproduction without Permission
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Source: Equiwa
Anne van Olst and Any How