Jose Daniel Martin Dockx Back in the Big Time with Catch Ride Manchego ARB

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2019 CDI Segovia

After the retirement of Jose Daniel Martin Dockx' 2016 Olympic ride Grandioso, the long-time Spanish team rider had to take a step back from the big tour spotlight. Although his barn was full of promising youngsters, there was no immediate successor to fill the shows of his double Olympic ride.

At the 2019 CDI Granada on 3 - 6 May 2019, Martin Dockx made his long awaited come back to CDI Grand Prix competition on a familiar face, at least in Spain: Manchego ARB. Martin Dockx has taken on Manchego as a catch ride as his wife, Manchego's owner Cristina Durans Vicens, is pregnant with her first child.

The 13-year old PRE stallion Manchego ARB (by Gumiel out of Helguerra (by Ermitaño III)) was originally owned by Antonio Rubio Becerril of Yeguada San Antonia.

Under Angel Dorado Martinez the horse made its national show debut in 2010 and won won silver at the 2010 Spanish Championships. As a 5-year old he made an impression at the 2011 World Young Horse Championships in Verden and two months later won the 2011 Spanish Young Horse Championships.

Manchego ARB sold to the Elias/Collins family of Barcelona Horses and was campaigned by Nuria Vila Perez in 2012. Manchego sold to Cristina Durans Vicens in the autumn of 2012. The new combination made its small tour debut at the CDI Jerez in 2015 and campaigned at the CDI's in Oliva and Madrid before scoring bronze at the 2015 Spanish Small Tour Championships. In 2016 they showed at just one CDI, in Jerez to return a year later at the CDI Medina Sidonia and Segovia.

Manchego ARB was absent from the CDI ring for two years to make his come back under Martin Dockx at the CDI Granada, where they scored 67.565% in the Grand Prix and 66.574% in the Special. At the CDI Segovia last weekend they stepped it up and placed seventh in the Grand Prix (69.435%) and won the Special (71.511%).

"I started riding Manchego in January," Jose Daniel told Eurodressage. "Segovia was for us a really good show. Manchego was a big surprise. There were a lot of participants and a very high level. He did a clean test in the Grand Prix and in the GP Special he gave everything so we are very happy with his evolution. Manchego will go back to Cristina as soon she gives birth to our baby. "

The Mijas based Jose Daniel has a second Grand Prix iron in the fire coming along in the 8-year old American owned Mejorano HGF (by Grandioso x Galan XVI). The stallion, bred and owned by Kimberly van Kampen of Hampton Green Farm, was Dani's 2018 World Young horse Championship ride and he took the grey straight from developing Prix St Georges into the medium tour this year.

Mejorano made his medium tour CDI debut in Granada at the beginning of May and posted 68.765% and 66.425% on the board. In Segovia they won the Inter A with 70.147% and were second in the Inter B with 68.375%.

"Mejorano did a very nice test. I' m really proud of him. Mejorano is really surprising me every day," said Martin Dockx. "He won the inter A with a score of more than 70%. He was second in the intermediate B. That was his second CDI on this level and we would like to start with him in the Grand Prix later this year. I'm involved with Hampton Green Farm and we have very interesting projects for the future that I would like to keep on working with."