Polish Beata Stremler is taking a step back in her international dressage career now that her top Grand Prix horse Rubicon D has been sold to Japan. Rubicon D will be a WEG and Tokyo hopeful for Masanao Takahashi.
The German based Stremler made her big leap into the international show arena aboard Rubicon D in 2014 and did her last show on him more than one year ago in December 2016.
Rubicon D is 15-year old Rhinelander gelding by Rubin Royal out of Larissa (by Larome). Bred by Heinrich Dresen and previously owned by Manfred and Regina Loose-Büttner, the bay gelding
Stremler and Rubicon D made their international Grand Prix debut at the 2014 CDI-W 's Hertogenbosch. After an strong first international season they competed for the Polish team at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen, France, where they finished 57th in the Grand Prix.
The horse then had almost a full year off from CDI competition and returned at the CDI Perl in September 2015. They competed on the 2016 World Cup circuit and rode the 2016 World Cup Finals in Gothenburg, where they were 13th in the freestyle finals. They only did one outdoor show that year, Aachen, and then were back for the winter indoors in Zakrzow and Frankfurt. The latter show being their last after an impressive third place in the Kur.
It was no secret that the Loose couple was interested in selling Rubicon D and had been for sale for a long time. Japanese Grand Prix rider Masanao Takahashi discovered him in Viersen, Germany, after the horse was also offered for sale through sales facility St. Ludwig.
Takahashi's sponsor, the company Unitechno, acquired the horse for him. Unitechno already purchased the rising GP horse Eaton H (by Wynton) in Holland back in August 2017.
Masanao represented Japan at the 2016 Olympics in Rio aboard Renate Voglsang's former ride Fabriano. He has now dropped Fabriano to small tour level in an attempt to qualify on the Japanese team for the 2018 Asian Games, which are ridden at PSG/Inter I level.
Photo © Astrid Appels
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