Dutch Under 25 Grand Prix rider Febe van Zwambagt made her debut on a new Grand Prix ride, Fiona Bigwood's Kjaerholm's Abutsiaq.
Kjaerholm's Abutsiaq is a 17-year old Danish warmblood gelding by Michellino x Limelight. He is bred by Erik Rasmussen.
The gelding has been trained from young horse level to Grand Prix by Danish Lene Ejby Christiansen. The combination finished 13th at the 2017 Danish Grand Prix Championships.
Sold to Bigwood
In 2018 the bay gelding sold to British Olympian Fiona Bigwood as a successor for her Rio mount Atterupgaards Orthilia, which she sold to Denmark.
The new pair made its international show debut in 2018 at the CDI Keysoe, where they were third in the Grand Prix (68.652%- and second in the Kur (72.885%). They also campaigned at Nieuw en St. Joosland, Bolesworth, Hartpury and Hickstead but their scores were not high enough to be considered for the British 2018 WEG team.
The CDIO Hickstead in July 2018 was the pair's last show. In 2019 Fiona's husband, Anders Dahl, rode the gelding in the Intermediaire II at two regional shows in the U.K., scoring 75.79% and 73.95%.
Sent to Holland
Kjaerholm's Abutsiaq joined Bigwood's other Grand Prix buy, Pin Rock's Foxfire Blitz, at Diederik van Silfhout's barn in The Netherlands, where both horses are now to be sold.
Half a year ago, the ride on Abutsiaq has been given to Van Silfhout's assistant rider, Febe van Zwambagt.
The new duo made its national show debut last weekend in Tolbert in the Under 25 division. They won with 73.03%.
"I'm so lucky that I get to ride him," Van Zwambagt told De Hoefslag. "He did super well and now we're going to clean up the small mistakes."
Bigwood has continued her competition career in the U.K. with the 10-year old Oldenburg bred Grand Prix horse Daytona Platinum (by Dante Weltino x Charon) and the 8-year old home bred small tour horse Casper xx (by Cashmir x Libero H). She rode both at national shows in the U.K. in 2020.
Photos © Astrid Appels - Digishots
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