The 17-year old KWPN licensed stallion and long-time Swedish team horse Scandic has been officially retired from competition at the 2016 CDIO Falsterbo in Sweden on Friday 8 July 2016. Patrik Kittel and Scandic performed their legendary Depeche Mode freestyle one last time.
Kittel announced the retirement of Scandic at the 2016 Swedish Dressage Championships in Stromsholm in June, but the official ceremony was scheduled for Falsterbo.
The 17-year old chestnut stallion is bred by Ineke Mosman-Rohe in The Netherlands and is by Solos Carex out of an Amiral dam. He is owned by Dutch team veterinarian Jan Greve in partnership with Kittel.
Scandic began his show career under Remy Bastings, who won the 2004 and 2005 KWPN Stallion Competition Finals with him and competed the horse at the 2004 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Verden. In 2006 Annemiek van der Vorm briefly took over the ride but soon the stallion moved to Patrik Kittel's yard in Germany to begin his FEI level career.
Kittel and Scandic made their debut at international Grand Prix level in 2009. They were members of the Swedish team at the 2009 and 2011 European Championships, the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2010 and 2014 World Equestrian Games. Their career highlight was winning kur bronze at the 2011 European Championships in Rotterdam.
The 17-year old Scandic has now been retired from competition sport in Falsterbo.
"It was a beautiful farewell this afternoon. No ramschackle performance, Scandic just went beautifully and piaffed for a 10," said owner Jan Greve. "He stopped at the peak of his career and said goodbye in a memorable way. Scandic will now enjoy his retirement at Patrik's stable. If there were to be a demand for him as a breeding stallion, will bring him home for a while, but despite the fact that Scandic performed fantastically for years breeders are not queuing for him. It's a pity because he produces well as a dam sire."
"He is such a unique, larger than life individual and I love him for that," said Patrik Kittel about Scandic. "He has, and will always be, his own person. Strong willed, stubborn, cheeky, charismatic - my wife would say we are two of the same- and it's true."
Photo © Ridehesten
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