The world renowned Danish stallion station Blue Hors Stud has decided to part ways with their head rider, Sune Hansen, following disappointing results at the 2011 European Dressage Championships.
"We have been happy about our time with Sune, but the sportive achievements have not lived up to our goals and expectations," said Blue Hors stud manager Esben Möller. "We believe now is the time to look for other solutions."
Sune Hansen has been officially working at Blue Hors stud since 1 January 2009, replacing successful Danish rider Andreas Helgstrand who decided to go independent.
Blue Hors Stud experienced its competitive haydays with Helgstrand, who won individual silver and bronze at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen aboard Blue Hors Matine. Andreas won numerous national championships and competed at the World Cup Finals with horses such as Blue Hors Cavan, Matine and Gredstedgaards Casmir. He also competed at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games with Cavan and Don Schufro.
The upper level trained rider Hansen, who had little international top level show experience, had extremely big shoes to fill. However unlike Helgstrand, who got three years to get 'warmed up' on the Blue Hors horses before making his debut onto the international scene, Hansen was installed in the driver's seat straight away and did his first CDI six months later in June 2009 at the CDIO Rotterdam.
Hansen was on the Danish team with Gredstedgaards Casmir at the 2009 European Championships in Windsor at 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky. He won bronze at the 2009 and 2010 Danish Championships and silver at the 2011 Danish Championships.
Hansen was supposed to make his big break through with the Oldenburg stallion Blue Hors Romanov (by Rohdiamant x Grundstein II). Multiple 70+ scores at this year's CDI competitions raised high hopes but Hansen was unable to maintain that level and finished 34th in the Grand Prix (67.660%) not making it to the Grand Prix Special.
"I'm very sad by this decision," Sune Hansen told Eurodressage. "It was an enormous opportunity to have worked for Blue Hors and have ridden so many wonderful horses. I have learnt so much and gained so much experience. I'm disappointed that my performances did not live up to their expectations."
Sune and his wife Emily Ward are still upset about this sudden decision and do not have any future plans in place.
Text and Photos © Astrid Appels/Eurodressage.com
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