Isabel Cool Retires Grand Prix Horse Constand, Moving on with Full Barn

Dressage

Belgium

Belgian Grand Prix team rider Isabel Cool has retired her number two GP ride, Constand, from competition sport. The liver chestnut sustained a career ending injury in 2020.

Constand is a 14-year old Dutch warmblood gelding by Vic out of Nola M (by Jetset-D). He is bred by Aart de Jong in Wouwse Plantage, The Netherlands.

He was initially accepted for the third phase at the 2010 KWPN Stallion licensing but ended up with a career in sport.

From Verden to Grand Prix

Cool discovered the liver chestnut as a youngster and first began competing him at national level in 2011. They won silver at the 2011 Belgian Young Horse Championships.

In 2012 they were selected to represent Belgium at the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Verden, where they finished 20th in the consolation finals for 5-year olds.

In 2015 he won bronze at the Belgian Small Tour Championship and in 2016 the pair made its international show debut at small tour level at the CDI Lier. That year, Cool campaigned Constand successfully at internationals in Nieuw en St. Joosland, Compiegne, Roosendaal and Mechelen, winning the Inter I kur to music at the latter show. They also won gold at the 2016 Belgian Small Tour Championship.

In 2017 and 2018, Cool and Constand did only a few CDI's (Lier, Compiegne and Den Bosch. At the 2018 CDI-W Den Bosch they won both the Prix St Georges and Inter I kur.

Trained by Sjef Janssen, they made their transition to international Grand Prix level at the 2019 CDI Leudelange in Luxembourg, where they posted 64.326% in the Grand prix and 67.945% in the Special. It was their first and last Grand Prix international.

Injury

Constand at the 2012 World YH Championships

Last year, Constand sustained a severe injury to his hind knee. The horse underwent laproscopy at Tom Mariën's equine clinic in Lummen, Belgium, but the verdict meant the end of the horse's sport career.

"He will be able to be painfree in the field and after rehabilitation able to go on hacks, but unfortunately there is nothing more in him," Cool told Eurodressage. "I can pick him up at the clinic this weekend. I hope he'll find happiness in the field. I'll start looking for a play mate for him."

Cool describes the Dutch warmblood as the most willing and eager ride she has had so far.

"Constand will always be my soulmate. I had an enormous click with him since he was a youngster. We achieved a lot together and since he was a 4-year old until now he always did his best. In the ring he always showed that bit extra because he was a showman who like to be in the center of attention. I haven't had any horse that liked to go to shows and perform as much as him. Hard to find."

Aranco V

The 35-year old Isabel Cool rode her first international Grand Prix tests on Aranco V (by Ferro x G Ramiro Z) in 2017.

Their efforts in 2018 culminated in team reserve selection for the World Equestrian Games in Tryon. They ended up going as Jorinde Verwimp had to withdraw Tiamo because of injury. They were back on the Belgian team for the 2019 European Dressage Championships in Rotterdam, but were eliminated from the Grand Prix because the horse was unlevel.

"Aranco is now being built back up after his injury in Rotterdam," Cool explained. "He'll be 16 this year so won't do competitions that much longer. I'm trying to keep him fit for some national and 3* shows, but nothing higher. He can no longer do that. I want to respect the limits of my horses. Aranco still loves to work and as long as I feel that, I'll keep on riding him and we'll see what happens."

Barn Full of Promise

Cool has her own training stable "Coolhorses" in Dendermonde, Belgium, and boasts a barn full of young talent.

"The road to Grand Prix is long but we keep striving for it," said Isabel. "The loss of Constand from my team of sport horses weighs heavily on me, I have to admit."

The horse closest to Grand Prix level is the 14-year old KWPN gelding Cheatodon (by Vic x Gouverneur), which she last competed internationally at small tour level at the 2016 CDIO Compiegne. He is now medium tour level trained. Last week he scored 72.4% in a training session for the Belgian squad riders in Lier, Belgium.

Isabel has four small tour horses lined up: the 10-year old KWPN gelding Glorious (by Krack C x Kigali), the 8-year old SBS registered Herr Charmeur (by Charmeur x Alabastro), the 8-year old BWP bred No Limit (by Jack Sparrow x Pavarotti vd Helle) and the 7-year old Hanoverian bred Soulmate (by Surprice x Weltmeyer).

"I also have nice 4-year olds such as Machoman (by ) and Ferrari (by ) as well as the newly purchaed Nazzaro (by Zonik x Ferro), who's a cousin of Aranco," said Isabel. "He's by Zonik out of the full sister of Aranco."