Blue Hors Znickers Sold to Sweden

Dressage

Sweden

Blue Hors stud in Denmark has sold Nanna Skodborg Merrald's Grand Prix ride Blue Hors Znickers to Sweden. He will continue as a GP schoolmaster.

Znickers is a 12-year old Oldenburg gelding by Zack out of Rosmarie (by De Niro x Rubinstein). He is bred by Hans Rode in Germany.

Licensed Stallion

Znickers was bought by Blue Hors stud as a foal and reared in Denmark. The stud presented him at the 2015 Oldenburg Stallion Licensing in Vechta, where he was accepted. He was later licensed with the Danish warmblood society.

The chestnut has been produced to small tour level by Daniel Bachman Andersen.

Nanna Merrald

Nanna took over the ride in 2020 and debuted him nationally at MB-level in July 2020. In May 2021 he did his first PSG test during his international show debut at the CDIO Compiegne, where he finished second. In February 2022 they scored a triple victory in Le Mans, followed by another double win at the CDI Aalborg.

In 2023 the pair finished second in the inaugural Danish Developing Grand Prix horse championship and at the 2024 CDI Hamburg they did their first international at Grand Prix level in Herning, where they posted 68.848%. At their next show in Compiegne their GP score went up to 72.587% and from there they went to Hagen, Aachen, Herning and Stockholm. At the latter show they got eliminated for blood in the mouth.

In 2025 Merrald and Znickers competed in Gothenburg and Herning, but then Blue Hors decided that it riders should take a competition break in the on-going animal welfare debate.

Sweden

Kleberg on Blue Boy at the 2016 EU JR Champs

Znickers has been sold to Sweden for Catherine Kleberg to ride.

"We are very happy and thankful for this amazing opportunity-to have him in our stable," Kleberg told Eurodressage. "We are slowly getting to know each other and hope the future looks bright."

The 27-year old Kleberg is a former Swedish junior team rider. She made her CDI show debut at the 2012 Nordic Baltic Championships in Ypaja on pony Bambino (by Carolinas Foxglove x Urbino), who was ridden on the Sweden team under Ebba Deijenberg at the 2010 European Pony Championships.

Four years later Kleberg made her return to the CDI ring as a junior rider aboard Carina Neverman Torup's former ride Blue Boy (by Don Schufro x Chromico). The pair showed at the 2016 CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland and was nominated on the Swedish tea for the 2016 European Junior Riders Championships in Oliva Nova (ESP), where they placed 28th in the individual test with 67.763%. It was Kleberg's last international competition. Catherine continued to ride and show at national level.

The Kleberg family owns Kersö Equestrian in Ekerö near Stockholm. They previously employed Anna Svanberg as head rider in the barn.