Bachmann Andersen and Blue Hors Stallions Enthuse Herning Crowds

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2018 CDI Herning

Working less than three years as Blue Hors stud's head competition rider, Danish Daniel Bachmann Andersen has kicked off 2018 as his most successful year in his career so far. The 27-year old has not only qualified for the 2018 World Cup Finals in Paris, but has also risen to the 15th place on the FEI World Dressage Riders Ranking.

Bachmann Andersen is definitely on a roll and his results and the jubilant reaction from the crowds at the 2018 CDI Herning last weekend support that fact.

"Being ranked as number 15 in the world is fantastic," said an elated Daniel. "I have always been dreaming of getting to the top of the world. It has been a fantastic journey and suddenly it all went very fast."

Bright Future at Blue Hors

Andersen began his professional career as an assistant trainer at Rudolf Zeilinger, before moving to Andreas Helgstrand's sales yard. When he was headhunted by Blue Hors, he received the opportunity of a lifetime to became the head rider of Denmark's leading professional stallion station and brood farm at the time.

With regular coaching from Danish team trainer Rudolf Zeilinger in the past and now Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein alongside Blue Hors' partner coach Lars Petersen, Daniel has been immersed in an environment that nurtures talent and success. With the appointment of Ulrik Sorensen as the sport director, Blue Hors has taken a new step forward into merging the stallion and mare program with a more sport-oriented goal.

Blue Hors has provided an amazing feeding ground for Daniel with peer review and support from team riders Allan Gron, Nanna Skodborg Merrald, amongst others. All of Daniel's horses are groomed by professional Robbie Sandersen, who left his job as Cosmo's groom at Rothenberger's yard for Blue Hors in Denmark.

"Working for Blue Hors has been great all the time, but of course it’s fantastic now that I have made my “own” horses and I enjoy it every day," said Andersen.

Daniel has an endless choice in high quality dressage horses at Blue Hors, a position dreamed off by any ambitious Grand Prix rider. In 2016 he came very close to being nominated on the Danish Olympic team with Blue Hors Hotline, but he ended up as first reserve. The year 2017 was used for his two top horses Blue Hors Zack and Blue Horse Don Olymbrio to grow at Grand Prix level.

When asked if he doesn't feel extra pressure to perform with licensed breeding stallions, Daniel stayed level-headed.

"There is always pressure, but I think that’s positive," he said frankly. "I never really think about it when I train. I believe that wouldn’t be beneficial. I have learned the last few years that it’s better to take the time it takes and then to be better in the end than to go out too fast. I have the full support from Blue Hors for that."

2018 Off to a Stellar Start

Patience and commitment in 2017 are paying off in 2018 as Daniel has achieved his aim of reaching the 2018 World Cup Finals with Zack. At the same time the 10-year old KWPN stallion Don Olymbrio (by Jazz x Ferro) has been coming of age and the liver chestnut stallion proved his worth at the 2018 CDI Herning.

Daniel and Don Olymbrio made their Grand Prix debut in Herning in March 2017 and in one year time they have made a quantum leap. They were second in the Grand Prix (73.457%) and Kur to Music (75.775%) behind Russian routiniers Inessa Merkulova and Mister X.

"Don Olymbrio was really good in the Grand Prix, our best score so far," Daniel told Eurodressage. "It was the first time I did a Grand Prix freestyle with him, so I borrowed the music from one of my other horses. He had some super moments, but I’ll have music specially made for him next time."

Over the past year Daniel and Don Olymbrio have been working on consolidating the movements more and after the 2017 CDIO Aachen in July Don Olymbrio was home so he could slowly mature at the level.

"In general he has gained more strength and more confidence," Daniel added. "It has been really good for him to have a longer break from the shows. I felt last year that he was losing his confidence and it was going a little to fast for him, so we decided to stay home until he had got that back. I’m very happy we took that decision."

Daniel also made his international small tour debut aboard the Blue Hors' home bred Oldenburg stallion Blue Hors Veneziano (by Vivaldi x Donnerhall) and scored a double whammy. The pair won the Prix St Georges with 74.735% and Intermediaire I with 74.353%.

"Veneziano was really super and showed a lot of strength in the collected work," Andersen explained. "His biggest quality is his temperament and willingness to work. He is very talented for piaffe and passage. I have done one Intermediare ll with him, which was good; he won with 72%, but in Herning we decided to do the small tour: first of all to show him at the stallion licensing, but also to give him another good experience in a bigger atmosphere."

Danish Olympian Agnete Kirk Thinggaard, daughter of Blue Hors stud owner Kjell Kirk Kristiansen, made her international debut on Blue Horse Zatchmo in the small tour in Herning. Agnete and the 9-year old Danish warmblood licensed stallion (by Zack x Donnerhall) finished fifth in the Prix St Georges with 69.765% and fourth in the Intermediaire I with 70.088%.

Daniel has a third Grand Prix iron in the fire, Blue Horse Zepter, a 10-year old Oldenburg by Zack x Wolkentanz II, which he premiered at international Grand Prix level at the CDI-W Herning last October. The striking chestnut with an amazing piaffe-passage ability. Also coming along is the 8-year old Danish warmblood Blue Hors Zee Me Blue (by Zack x Don Schufro), with whom Daniel finished 5th at the 2017 World Young Horse Championships in the 7-year old division in Ermelo, The Netherlands.

Breeding Success in Herning

The 2018 CDI Herning coincided with the annual Danish Warmblood Stallion Licensing where Blue Hors celebrated major success

Blue Hors saw its 4-year old stallions Emilio (by Escolar x Lauries Crusador xx), Fifty Cent (by Franziskus x Donnerball) and Zackerey (by Zack x Sandro Hit) get full licensing from the studbook. The Oldenburg bred Blue Hors Londoner (by Londontime x Danone I) was proclaimed premium stallion in the 3-year old ring, while the 3-year olds Zagori (by Zack x Sir Donnerhall II) and Zippo EG (by Farrell x Zack) were both accepted for the performance test.

In Herning the 4-year old Zackerey, who is being trained by Daniel, went on to win the "Breeders Medal in Gold", writing history as he is only the 7th stallion to be decorated with this medal by the Danish Warmblood Society. Zackerey's breeders Tove and Ove received the Age Ravn Trophy for having bred the Blue Hors Zack x Sandro Hit x Solos Carex colt. Blue Hors Fifty Cent was awarded the silver medal.

Karsten Petersen, who has been working as a handler for Blue Hors for 23 years, was named Best Handler of the 2018 DWB Licensing and received a special medal to remember his achievement from Her Royal Highness Princess Benedikte.

For more information about Blue Hors, visit www.bluehors.dk