Don Olymbrio and Veneziano Back at Stud, Sport Career on Hold

Dressage

Denmark

Agnete Kirk Thinggaard's Grand Prix horses Blue Hors Don Olymbrio and Blue Hors Veneziano are standing back at stud with fresh semen at Blue Hors in Randbøl, Denmark. The two Grand Prix level stallions have not competed in 15 months.

Kirk Thinggaard took over the ride on Veneziano in April 2019 and on Don Olymbrio in November 2019, shortly before Blue Hors' head rider Daniel Bachmann left the stud to go independent.

Veneziano

Blue Hors Veneziano (by Vivaldi x Donnerhall) is 11 years old. Under Daniel Bachmann he won the 2018 German Developing Grand Prix Horse Championship (Louisdor Cup) in December 2018.

Agnete made her international show debut on Veneziano at the 2020 CDI Wellington during his winter training stint in Florida with Lars Petersen. She scored 64.022% in her first Grand Prix. A month later she withdrew from the CDI Wellington 12 March. Veneziano has not competed since.

As a breeding stallion, Veneziano was briefly pulled from stud after he tested positive as a carrier of the WFFS gene, but the beautiful chestnut returned to stud duties in June 2018 only offered to mares who are WFFS negative. He also was not offered to breeders for a short period in 2020 when Agnete was training him in Florida. Veneziano has sired the stunning young licensed stallion Blue Hors Valenzo and Oldenburg premium licensed stallion Venido.

Don Olymbrio

Agnete also chose to make her debut on the now 13-year old KWPN stallion Don Olymbrio (by Jazz x Ferro) in Wellington.

So far they have competed in just one class in Wellington, a 3* Grand Prix on Thursday 23 January 2020, in which they placed fourth with 71.783%.

Shortly after this show it was decided to send Don Olymbrio back home to Denmark for a break from sport. Although the stallion appeared fit at the show in Wellington, a big amount of shows done with Daniel Bachmann in 2019 (Amsterdam, Herning, Den Bosch, Uggerhlane, Aachen, and Herning again) in addition to a trip to Florida apparently had put some strain on the stallion and it was decided in the horse's best interest to give him some time off.

Don Olymbrio has not returned to the arena since January 2020.

Competition on Hold

With Blue Hors Zatchmo (by Zack x Donnerhall) Agnete produced consistent seventy percentage scores during the 2020 Wellington show season and was considered one of Denmark's Olympic potentials for Tokyo.

Agnete has not returned to the international show ring since March 2020 in Florida. Nationally she rode Zatchmo in his last show in July 2020. Atterupgaards Orthilia was the last horse she has shown in August 2020 before handing the ride to Nanna Skodborg Merrald.

Agnete's father Kjeld Kirk Christiansen is the LEGO heir and owner of Blue Hors Stud. Agnete is part of the Blue Hors' riders team but also has her own yard, Julianelyst, in Ostbirk, Denmark. The 38-year old former Danish team rider is married to Claus Thinggaard, who is an amateur Grand Prix rider in his own right, and they have three children together.

For show year 2021 neither Don Oymbrio's nor Veneziano's FEI passports were renewed, indicating no immediate competition plans.

"Both horses are in good shape," Blue Hors sport director Ulrik Sorensen told Eurodressage. "When they go for a show we just pay for the Fei passport."

Agnete told Eurodressage that, "I have chosen to put my career on hold for some time. For private reasons I need to focus my time and energy on my family and to be a mother, above all. The horses are fine, all are fit to compete."