Dutch Olympic and A-team rider Diederik van Silfhout has received the ride on Anna Zibrandtsen's second Grand Prix horse Rentino. The 13-year old Hanoverian has already been in Holland for two months.
Rentino is by Rosario out of Diva (by De Niro x Walt Disney I x Akzent I). He is bred by Reiner Röbke.
Under Anna Zibrandtsen he made his international debut in the Under 25 division at the 2014 CDI Kapellen, where they won the Grand Prix with 68.684%. Since then they showed at CDI-U25s in Nieuw en St. Joosland, Odense, Aalborg, Falsterbo, and Braunschweig. They won bronze at the 2015 Danish U25 Championships and represented Denmark at the 2016 European Under 25 Championships in Hagen as a last minute replacement, but the pair shone and was 8th in the Kur to Music Finals. Their CDI last show together was the 2016 CDI Falsterbo.
"Diederik took over the ride for a while because I'm working with Arlando now," Zibrandtsen told Ridehesten. "I want to fully focus on Arlando but wanted to keep Rentino in sport. That is why together with my trainer Jan Brink we decided that it is most optimal for Diederik to show him for a period."
Van Silfhout is of course thrilled to have a new Grand Prix horse in his barn. After the sale of Arlando he is continuing his GP career with Four Seasons, but a second iron in the fire is always welcome.
"Rentino is quite a lot of horse for Anna and therefore also a bit difficult. That is why she aqked me a while ago if I could take over the ride," Van Silfhout told Horses.nl. "He is a super nice horse, but there is lots of work to do. I would love to show him a few times to see where we are at. Also the horse has to get used to it. It's quite a difference if Anna or I are on his back. But he has a lot of quality and at home he does almost everything. For instance he piaffes much off the ground, but in the show ring he becomes a lot of horse."
Van Silfhout is unsure whether this is a long-term ride or just for a while, or whether the horse will be sold. "It all depends on how well it goes. Maybe Anna will take over again, or he'll be sold, or when it goes really well I might ride him a bit longer. In any case he's a super cool horse."
Photo © Astrid Appels
Related Links
Eurodressage Photo Database: Rentino
Scores: 2016 European Under 25 Championships
Zibrandtsen Replaces Merrald on Danish Team at 2016 European Under 25 Championships
Scores: 2015 Danish Dressage Championships
Mattsson and Zibrandtsen Rule the Under 25 Division at the 2014 CDI Kapellen