Signe Kirk Kristiansen Buys Suarez

Dressage

Denmark

Danish Grand Prix rider Signe Kirk Kristiansen has acquired the 6-year old Hanoverian stallion Suarez.

Suarez is by Sezuan out of Damandala (by Desperados x Rotspon).

He was approved at the 2017 Hanoverian Stallion Licensing in Verden, where he was acquired by Helgstrand. Dam Damandala is the full sister to the dam that produced the licensed Toto Jr and Decurio. Suarez also passed the 2018 Danish warmblood licensing.

As of 2018 Suarez was stationed at Gransbo stallion station in Sweden and spent three breeding seasons there before returning to Denmark where Mette Sejbjerg Jensen took over the ride. The pair finished 9th in the 6-year old finals.

Sold to Kirk Kristiansen

The black has been sold to Signe Kirk Kristiansen, daughter in law of Kjell Kirk Kristiansen, the owner of Blue Hors stud.

Signe is married to Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, a fourth-generation heir of the Lego toy imperium. Thomas succeeded his father Kjeld as Lego's deputy chairman of the board in 2016. Signe's sister-in-law, Agnete Kirk Thinggaard is a Danish Olympic team dressage rider. Signe managed Kirk Arabians as of 2007, but the Kirk couple closed those activities in the spring of 2018 after which Signe shifted her attention to international dressage sport.

She made her CDI debut at small tour level in March 2016 in Wellington, Florida, with Roberto (by Walt Disney x Rubinstein). Her Grand Prix debut followed on Her Highness O (by Hohenstein x Weltmeyer) in March 2018 in Wellington. In 2019 she acquired Bonderman (by Belarus x Alabaster) at Helgstrand Dressage. Now Suarez follows.

"Actually, I wanted to wait until later this autumn to buy a horse, but one day Andreas called because he knew I had gradually started to look," Signe explained. "I had an idea of getting a slightly more experienced horse, but I simply fell for Suarez right away. He is beautiful, has a wonderful character, three amazing gaits and is incredibly uncomplicated. And especially the latter was important to me, since I need a horse that thrives and is easy to handle at competitions."

Suarez has also been gelded as he will be focused exclusively on sport.

New Mom

Kirk Kristiansen will not take over the ride immediately as she has just given birth to a new baby. She aims to start riding Suarez in the spring.

"I have just become a mother again, and in the new year we move to Skovsbo Gods close to Rynkeby (DEN), where we will have room to keep the horses at home," Signe explains. "That's why I made an agreement with my trainer, Allan Grøn, for him to ride Suarez until we move."