German Olympic team gold medal winner Sönke Rothenberger has a new Grand Prix hopeful to ride, the 9-year old Brandenburger bred Santiano R (by San Amour x Lord Sinclair x Dukur).
Santiano R was bred and owned by Antje Rahn who has lightly competed the horse over the years, with only one competition each year since 2013. Rahn rode the horse at L and M level and in June 2016 she once competed him at S-level at the CDN Prietzen where they were seventh in the class.
The horse arrived at Rothenberger's yard a week ago. He was acquired by the Rothenberger family in partnership with Ralph Westhoff and his life partner Marga Groeninger. Westhoff already purchased half ownership in Sönke's Olympic ride Cosmo and full ownership of Sanneke's young horse Sankt Anton.
Sönke is thrilled to have Santiano R in the barn. "He's a super Grand Prix horse with strengths in all the movements that count double," Sönke told Eurodressage. "He has an abnormal piaffe-passage tour, a super walk and is very nice to collect for the pirouettes. He might not be the prettiest type in the stable, but as soon as he moves he knows how to impress."
The 22-year old Olympian is not pressured to go out and compete Santiano R immediately.
"We're still getting used to one another, but he already gives me a super feeling," said Sönke. "Now I have a horse in the barn that can release some of the pressure off Cosmo. I don't have any stress about competing him soon, so I'll take it easy. I think the Louisdor Cup would be a super fun series for him in 2017. We'll see how fast we'll be a combination."
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