There are many ways to be involved in the sport of dressage, from riding, to judging, to owning an Olympic dressage athlete. Purchasing her own dressage great as “an un-started 4-year old straight from the breeder,” Kimberly van Kampen-Boyer now has a very special interest in the London Games.
“Grandioso is a top level dressage horse because his basic gaits are competitive with any warmblood,” says Kimberly. “The collected work is exceptional and easy for him, he has a super mind, and he is very sound!”
Originally appointed traveling reserves for the Spanish Olympic Team, Jose Daniel Martin Dockx and Kimberly’s PRE stallion Grandioso earned this spot after their fantastic results at the recent CDIO in Aachen. The pair finished 15th with a score of 70.468% and certainly proved to Kimberly that she put the horse in good hands!
“Grandioso was originally trained and competed by US rider Courtney King Dye until 2010. Following her injury, Jan Bemelmans expressed an interest in the horse going to Spain. Subsequently, Grandioso went to Malaga to be finished at Grand Prix and competed on by Daniel Martin Dockx. I have known Daniel for several years. He is currently training five Hampton Green Farm horses. I have always admired his riding and thought he would be the right person to compete on a talented Spanish horse outside of Spain. His partnership with Grandioso is a very good one and growing stronger month to month ever since they began their international dressage career together last December.”
After the recent withdrawal of Beatriz Ferrer-Salat's Delgado from the Spanish Olympic team, Grandioso has been called up to the plate and Kimberly says she just hopes her horse can perform.
“His own personal best,” she stated.
Born in 1999, the 16 hand BRE bay stallion (by Adelante out of Sevillano IX) from the Yeguada Marin Garcia in Huelva, Spain, is busy taking in the sights and sounds at Greenwich and Kimberly says the long journey to London has been completely worth it!
“Owning an olympic horse is rewarding?....Yes, of course! I assume every owner has had a unique journey to arrive at this place. Mine has been particularly dramatic and thrilling, but wouldn't we all say that?”
Ready to take her seat ring side at the Games Kimberly jokes that the thing she is most looking forward to in London is “the food”, but i’m sure she will be able to entertain more than just her stomach!
And after the London Olympics?
“The horse will stay with Daniel.”
Text by Sarah Warne for Eurodressage.com
Photos © Balkenhol
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