Danielle van Mierlo Loses Grand Prix Horse Dayano

Dressage

The Netherlands

Dutch Grand Prix rider Danielle van Mierlo has lost the number one Grand Prix horse in her barn, Dayano. The gelding suddenly passed away on 3 December from cardiac arrest.

Dayano was a 12-year old Dutch warmblood gelding by Jazz out of Urike (by Kasparow). He was bred by W. van Kessel and originally named Dominant.

From Novice to Grand Prix

The now 31-year old Danielle van Mierlo trained the horse from novice to Grand Prix. They are coached by Patrick van der Meer.

The pair first achieved successes in the 2012 VSN Trophy Finals in which they became reserve champions.

In 2013 they rode the Pavo Cup Finals and finished 10th. The same year they also competed in the 2013 Horsefood Dressage Talent Competition and finished third.

In 2016 they won the bronze medal at the Dutch Dressage Championships in the ZZ-Zwaar division.

International Ride

The pair made its international show debut at small tour level in 2017 at the CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland where they posted three seventy percentage scores. They are showed in Roosendaal two months later.

In 2018 the pair did not appear at international shows, but was preparing for Grand Prix.

in 2019 Danielle and Dayano made their international Grand level debut at the CDI Kronenberg, scoring 68 and 69%. They also campaigned at the CDI's in Geesteren, Falsterbo and Ermelo. Her last CDI was in August 2019.

Accident

In March 2020 Van Mierlo gave birth to her first child, son Lukas, and returned to the saddle a week after the delivery.

In May, however, the rider fractured her fibula in a trailer accident with Dayano, when the black spooked on the ramp, knocked over Danielle and stepped on her leg. She was sidelined for two months.

Lost

Van Mierlo and Dayano were preparing for the CDI come back, but it was not meant to be.

The horse died suddenly on 3 December from cardiac arrest.

"I feel incredibly lost, my entire future is gone," said Van Mierlo. "We had such great plans. He was the joy of the day in the barn. When I rode the other horses I was already thinking of how I would train Dayano. He was my motivation to reach the top again."