Ilegivel OC, Exciting Lusitano Grand Prix Prospect for Dawn White-O' Connor

Dressage

U.S.A.

Akiko Yamazaki has secured the Lusitano bred Ilegivel OC as a potential U.S. team hopeful for American professional dressage rider Dawn White - O' Connor.

Ilegivel OC is a black 10-year old Lusitano stallion by Latino x Ramalhete. He is bred at Coudelaria Ortigao Costa, a stud farm specialised in breeding black coated Lusitanos.

Mediterranean Tour

Ilegivel OC was bred in Portugal and initially owned by Spaniard Diego Ventura, a world famous bullfighter. This diamond in the rough was mined by German horse dealer Jochen Arl in the South of France in December 2022.

The horse is Grand Prix level schooled but has hardly been competed. Arl saw the talent and potential in this rising star, bought him and brought him to Antonio Laiz Zandio in The Netherlands to establish him more at FEI level.

The pair had their first competition try-out in a Test of Choice class at the CDN Ankum in February.

Matched with Dawn White - O'Connor

Jochen immediately knew that Ilegivel OC represented the quality and potential his long-time client Akiko Yamazaki was looking for and introduced the horse to her.

Akiko and her sponsored rider Dawn White - O' Connor flew to Europe to try out the black stallion. They both fell in love with the horse.

"I loved the feeling right away when I tried him," Dawn told Eurodressage. "He is naturally a very supple horse with lots of power and a great work ethic! He shows lots of talent for the Grand Prix work, especially the piaffe and passage. I am very excited about the future with him and so thankful to Akiko for this opportunity."

Grand Prix Prospect

White - O' Connor has been collaborating with Yamazaki since 2017. She first got U.S. Rio Olympic team horse Legolas to ride as a Grand Prix schoolmaster. Aboard Bailarino (by Breitling W x De Niro) she won the 2018 U.S. Developing Grand Prix Horse Championships. With Hudson M (by Cadans M x Tuschinski) she won the 2021 U.S. Small Tour Championship.

Dawn and Hudson M winning the 2021 U.S. Small
Tour Championship

Dawn, a Colorado native, began her professional career as an assistant to Olympian Steffen Peters in Arroyo del Mar near San Diego before going independent at Coastal Equestrian Centre in Encinitas, California. Dawn is soon relocating to Florida, though, and will work out of Havensafe Farm in Wellington, Florida.

Ilegivel OC has already arrived in Florida where he and Dawn will begin getting connected.

"I think we will see how he settles in and take it slow," Dawn added. "I would like to take him out to some small shows later this summer and fall so we can get acquainted with each other and see where that takes us."