The dynamite Dutch duo, Hans Peter Minderhoud and the dapple grey stallion Zanardi, took out the small tour at the 2014 CDI 3* in Drachten on 3 - 5 January 2014. The brand new promising combination belied their low mileage. On their second CDI appearance in a big arena the pair certainly showed they are the ones to watch in the future.
"Zanardi felt really good in Drachten,” Hans Peter told Eurodressage. “As it was his second time in a big arena I could feel that he was a bit excited, but still he was really with me and he made no mistakes.”
After making their CDI debut with two victories in Roosendaal at the beginning of December 2013, Minderhoud and Zanardi rolled on to Drachten to sweep the boards there. They won the Prix St Georges with 73.368% and took the Intermediaire I Kur with 75.900%.
Minderhoud has been training Zanardi since the stallion was a 6-year old. In 2010 the grey was competed nationally by Bart Veeze and shortly after the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, Hans Peter's eye got caught on this diamond in the rough. “I own the horse together with Renate Landa who also owned his sire, Rubels," said Minderhoud. "He is a super sweet stallion and it’s only in prize givings that he gets very excited.”
The 10-year old Zanardi, who was originally named Zeerow, is by Rubels out Ilieze (by Avignon x Enfant de Normandie). The stallion is a mirror image of sire Rubels, who launched Hans Peter's international dressage career by twice winning the World Young Horse Championships in Verden, Germany, in 2001 and 2002.
Rubels, whose untimely death was in 2006, never made the transition to Grand Prix but Hans Peter hopes to reach that final goal with Zanardi. Training him together with assistant rider Marieke van der Putten, Hans Peters credits the horse for its three good gaits and a lot of talent for the collected work.
“I train in Harskamp together with Edward and Nicole Werner," he added. "Our plans for 2014 are to compete at a few more shows at small tour level and then train Zanardi up to Grand Prix."
Zanardi's next start is scheduled for the 2014 CDI-W Amsterdam at the end of January.
Text by Sarah Warne - Photos © Digishots
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