Who's That Boy? Lottie Fry Premiers Belgian Bred Lars van de Hoenderheide

Brand new World Champion Charlotte Fry has captured gold in Herning on her young Grand Prix horse, 11-year old Glamourdale. The black stallion is the north star in a constellation of horses that Fry has lined up for herself, securing her future at top level. 

At the inaugural 2022 CDI Leeuwarden on 14 - 15 October 2022, Fry premiered a brand new boy, Lars van de Hoenderheide. 

Belgian Warmblood

Lars van de Hoenderheide is an 11-year old Belgian warmblood gelding bred by Jan Sips and Tinne Van Deuren in Loenhout., Belgium, and born in 2011. 

Sired by Negro, the chestnut is out of Taaika by Layout, a Rhinelander stallion shown at Grand Prix level by Belgian Philippe Jorissen in the late 1990s. Grand dam Gaskia (by Romeo x Drost), produced the Grand Prix horse Taison (by Negro), who was competed by American Mette Rosencrantz. 

From a young age Lars van de Hoenderheide was competed in Belgium on the unaffiliated LRV circuit by Stijn Rombouts. He took the horse from novice level to Belgian ZZ level (M-level Germany) and in 2019 became National LRV Champion. Stijn also competed the gelding in show jumping as well as rode him in the quadrille of his regional team "Leonardusruiters."

Rombouts competed Lars a few times in national Prix St Georges classes at the end of their partnership.

Van Olst Horses

In January 2021 Lars moved to Van Olst Horses in The Netherlands, where Anne van Olst took over the ride and produced the horse to Grand Prix level.

Only a few weeks ago, Lottie Fry took place in the saddle and first competed him at a national show in Velzer, before putting him on the lorry for the CDI Leeuwarden last week. 

In their first international, the pair scored 70.761% to place sixth in the Grand Prix and 77.020% to place third in the Kur to Music. 

From All Rounder to Grand Prix Horse

In an interview with Horse & Hound, Fry talked about her new mount Lars van de Hoenderheide. 

"He hadn’t done much previously – before he came to us, he did quite a lot of jumping and all-round stuff," said Fry. "Anne has been training him now for about two years and she was very nice to allow me to ride him in competition. I haven’t been riding him that long to be honest, only a few weeks, but she’s done such a great job of training him."

Lottie added, “he did such a great job because he is inexperienced, but he is so talented. That was his first ever freestyle to music. We borrowed one of Anne’s old kürs and he just loved it.”

Photos © Digishots - Dirk Caremans

Related Links
Scores: 2022 CDI Leeuwarden