Nina van Rooij's Dutch team pony has been sold and will be retained for Dutch pony sport. The buckskin has been acquired by Dutch dressage rider and stallion owner Saskia Poel for her 6-year old daughter Joy.
Le Formidable is a 7-year old Dutch bred New Forest Pony by Champion de Luxe out of Ginea (by Manfred). He is bred by J. Van Os
Paco
Originally named Paco, the pony came into prominence in the ownership of the Van Rooij family.
The ride was allocated to Nina van Rooij, who began scoring her first significant results with him in 2022. The pair won the 2022 regional indoor championships for Noord-Brabant at M2 level in 2022. They made their international show debut at FEI level at the CDI Kronenberg Indoor in December 2022, scoring 66.524% in the team test (21st) and ending third in the Kur with 74.142%. They were 7th at the 2022 Dutch Pony Championships.
In 2023 they campaigned at one CDI only, in Exloo, before getting selected on the Dutch team for the 2023 European Pony Championships in Le Mans, France. They were 13th in the Kur to Music finals with 73.330%
Saskia Poel
Le Formidable has now been sold to Dutch FEI rider Saskia Poel, who is also known as the owner of the KWPN licensed stallion Le Formidable. Now Poel has two horses with the same name in her barn.
"I can’t believe that our chapter is now closing and I can’t express in words how much I will miss you," Nina van Rooij took to Instagram. "You were only 3 when we started together and now, 4 years later you have made my biggest dreams come true… Formi you where the best dance partner that I could ever ask for and I love you with my whole heart."
Photo © Astrid Appels
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