Donna Silver, Danish Elite Mare and Former International GP Horse, Passed Away

Dressage

Denmark

Donna Silver, a Danish warmblood elite mare and former international Grand Prix horse, has passed away. She was 22 years old.

The grey made was by Don Schufro out of Wilma (by Willemoes x Cannon Row xx). She was bred by Lillian and Carl Erik Jensen.

Elite Mare

In 2004 Donna Silver was named the Danish Warmblood Mare of the Year and received the gold medal and elite title.

Nicolai Kowalski started her under saddle and in 2006 she sold for 76,000 euro at auction at the Danish warmblood Stallion Licensing in Herning. Berit and Louis Nielsen bought her after a tough bidding duel with Danish horse dealer Hasse Hoffmann.

They put her in training with Bettina Laisbo and got long listed for the Danish team that would compete at the 2006 and 2007 World Young Horse Championships. She never made it to Verden but on national level she became Danish Champion and Reserve champion as a 5 and 6-year old.

Laisbo moved her up the levels and the mare was competed at Prix St Georges level in 2009.

Sold to Italy

In 2010 Italian Grand Prix rider Silvia Rizzo bought the mare at Helgstrand and asked Daniel Bachmann Andersen to produce her to Grand Prix level. Bachmann was riding for Rudolf Zeilinger in Germany at the time.

Donna Silver became Bachmann's third international Grand Prix horse in his career after having shown Priboy and Vestergaardens Cheval in 2009. He showed Donna Silver at the 2011 CDI Odense. Rizzo competed the mare only once, at the 2012 CDI Drachten but felt she didn't make a connection with her.

In 2012 Rizzo allocated the ride on Donna to her trainer at the time, Hans Peter Minderhoud, as his 2012 Dutch Olympic hopeful. He showed her in Saumur, Munich and Rotterdam as well as the Dutch Dressage Championships but failed to capture one of four Dutch Olympic spots.

In January 2013 Rizzo went to compete in Wellington and put Donna Silver back in training with Daniel Bachmann, who rode her at the CDI Hagen, won silver at the 2013 Danish Under 25 Championship and placed second twice in the Under 25 classes at the 2013 European Championships in Herning.

Sold to South Africa

In 2014 Helgstrand sold the mare South African horse owner Pienaar for Chere Burger to ride as her 2014 World Equestrian Games hopeful.

Burger campaigned at the CDI Vestfold, Stadl Paura, and Wiesbaden, but ended up riding the Friesian Anders at the WEG in Caen.

Sold to Denmark

Pienaar sent the mare back to Helgstrand, where Severo Jurado Lopez took over the ride and competed her once nationally in November 2014 at the Blue Hors festival.

Helgstrand sold Donna Silver for a third time in December 2014 to a forever home at Lone Boegh Henriksen's HP Horses at Tvedegård near Copenhagen. The mare became a schoolmaster for her daughter Rose Henriksen.

Between 2015 and 2017 Rose and Donna Silver travelled across Europe to show at Young Riders level in Stadl Paura, Nieuw en St. Joosland, Odense, Hagen, and Aalborg. They tried for a spot on the Danish team for the 2017 European Young Riders Championships but didn't make the cut. They finished their career on a high note, however, by winning the 2017 Danish Young Riders Championships.

With Chere Burger at the 2014 CDI Wiesbaden

The pair competed in their last show in March 2018 in a national Intermediaire II class, placing third with 69.781%.

Retirement

Donna Silver was retired from sport at age 17. The owners tried breeding her, but she never caught.

On 7 July 2023 she was put to sleep.

"After a short illness, this morning we had to say goodbye to our much-loved Donna Silver," Rose stated. "You were always greeted with a loving look and the sun shone on our beautiful Donna until the very end. I can't put into words how much the whole HP family will miss her beautiful mind and long ears in the barn."

Rose continued, "The last few years have been enjoyed on the grass paddocks with paddock mates, a little horse ride now and then and lots of love. Even if she took that trip to the eternal meadows today, her importance will not be less. I am so deeply grateful for all that Donna has given me. She was the best teacher, travel companion and, not least, friend. The relationship I had with Donna cannot be replaced, but remains a beautiful memory."