Former Dutch Olympic rider Arjen Teeuwissen has a new upcoming FEI horse in training. His new key to future success is the KWPN licensed breeding stallion Polansky, a black Kostolany x Donnerhall x Ulft x Roemer.
Polansky was the 2002 KWPN/KNHS Stallion Competition Winner under Gerdine Maree and won two KWPN Stallion Competition qualifiers in 2003. In 2004, Polansky produced his first licensed offspring, Upper Class.
"He's a very nice, big, impressive horse, which suits me well," Arjen Teeuwissen told Eurodressage. "He has three very nice basic gaits and shows much potential for collection. His strong sides are definitely his beauty, his expression and ability to collect."
Teeuwissen is extremely happy to have received the ride on Polansky. The black stallion is owned by Tim Coomans whose girlfriend Adrienne Wigmans trains with Teeuwissen at his barn in Vlimmeren, Belgium.
Polansky has been stabled at Teeuwissen's for two months now and the pair is getting to know each other. "He's always been ridden by someone else and now it's matter of tuning the horse into my way of riding, making him loose and round," Teeuwissen said.
Arjen is training Polansky at Prix St Georges level and will be preparing him for the summer shows. But Polansky is not his only claim to future fame. At the moment he has three other horses at his disposal.
"Killer is being prepared for Grand Prix level. I'm also riding Rivaldi, a 7-year old Gribaldi x Zebulon son, and Silver, a 6-year old Ferro offspring owned by the Belgian couple Mr and Mrs Callens and Mr Pezelaar.
For Teeuwissen the start of the 2005 show season has been an emotional and troublesome period. His 16-year old Olympic mount Goliath recuperated from a severe injury and was ready to compete again in the World Cup Qualifiers. However, the Dutch Equestrian Federation turned down his entry for the CDI-W Maastricht and told Arjen to do two national shows again before going to CDI's.
According to Teeuwissen, Goliath already proved his worth for the Dutch team enough by becoming the 2001 Reserve European Champion and 2000 Olympic team silver medallist, so he refused to do any national shows again. He retired Goliath from competition and ended the career of probably the best Dutch warmblood horse ever appeared in the international dressage ring.
"Goliath is definitely retired now. In the beginning it was very hard for me and I was angry, but now I am happy. I can see Goliath in the field every day. He's my horse and I hope I can see him in the fields for 17 more years. I have closed that chapter for good," Teeuwissen confessed.
Arjen Teeuwissen was the shooting star in the Netherlands in 1999, becoming the silver medallist at the 1999 and 2001 European Championships and team silver medallist at the 2000 Olympic Games. One moment he was heralded as Holland's biggest star, the next he was dropped like a rock by the Dutch Equestrian Federation.
"I have learned from all this that there is nothing so transitory as success. You win some, you lose some and you have to accept that. I have nice young horses coming along and I know for sure that I'll be back in the future," said a very pugnacious Teeuwissen.
Text copyrighted Astrid Appels
Photos copyrighted: Dirk Caremans - Arnd Bronkhorst
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