Johana Vasaryova's Silky Moves and Firestone Passed Away

Dressage

Czech Republic

Czech Young Rider Johana Vasaryova had to say goodbye to her two international youth riders horses, Silky Moves and Firestone within one month time.

Silky Moves

Silky Moves was a 2010 born Oldenburg gelding by Starnberg out of Finesse (by Furst Heinrich x ). He was bred by Reinhard Jaite.

Originally owned by Josef Malir, the chestnut made his international show debut as a 5-year old in 2015 under Hana Vasaryova. The pair first competed in the young horse classes in Lipica and Arezzo and then headed to the 2015 World Young Horse Championships in Verden, where they were 18th in the 5-year old consolation finals. A year later they returned to the World Championships in Ermelo and placed 10th in the 6-year old consolation finals. Hana and Silky Moves made their third WCYH start in 2017 in Ermelo in the the 7-year old year old classes and were 15th in the consolation finals. That year they also showed at the CDI's in Stadl Paura, Compiegne and Achleiten.

Silky Moves sold to Austrian Olympian Victoria Max-Theurer, but it was her partner Stefan Lehfellner who made his CDI show debut on the horse in June 2019 in the small tour. They were first rung out at the CDI Achleiten, but at the CDI Fritzens they were fourth in the Intermediaire I. Silky Moves was sent back to the Vasaryova family in Czech Republic although with the FEI the ownership remained with Max-Theurer.

Hana's daughter Johana took over the ride and debuted Silky Moves in the junior division at the CDI Mariakalnok in May 2021. Between 2021 and May 2025 the pair competed at numerous international shows; at junior level in Hagen, Zakrzow, Stadl Paura, Achleiten, Neu-Anspach, Aachen, Samorin, and Olomouc winning three CDI classes. They debuted as a young rider pair in Wroclaw in October 2023 and from there went to Aachen, Samorin, Olomouc, Hagen and Aachen. Their last CDI start was in Olomouc where they got rung out after being unsound. He tore a tendon in the test and was retired from sport shortly afterwards.

On 3 February 2026 Silky Moves passed away.

"I went to school normally and out of the blue I get a message that Silky has had a terrible colic early in the morning and that there is no other option but to put him down," Johana explained. "The vet who was there with him since the morning said that it wouldn't even be worth taking him to the clinic because he simply can't be saved because of previous several such operations. It was a terribly difficult decision, but this horse deserves to die without much suffering for what he did for me."

Johana continued, "I would like to thank the owners so much for letting me ride this genius. You were the terror of all the grooms, because your moods and states were really unmanageable at times. You were definitely a horse that no one will ever forget, for better or for worse. I love you silky and i always wil."

Firestone

Earlier in January, Vasaryova already had to say goodbye to her Children's horse Firestone.

Firestone was a 16-year old KWPN gelding by Johnson out of Zelza-Bella (by Florencio x Painters Rowe xx). He was bred by A. Flierman.

He was originally owned by Team Nijhoff in partnership with the Czech company Hapax as a foal. The black was reared in the Czech republic before returning to The Netherlands to be approved at the 2013 KWPN Stallion Licensing. He completed the 2013 KWPN Autumn Stallion Performance Test with 82.5 points. He was first competed by the Dutch Joyce Lenaerts, who rode the 2015 KWPN Stallion Competition Finals and at the 2015 CDI Lier as a 5-year old.

Johana and Firestone at the 2021 CDIO-CH Hagen

Nijhof sold its share to Hapax and the stallion moved back to the Czech republic at the end of 2017 to move in training with Tereza Hábová. However it was in 2020 that the horse made its international come back as a children's horse with Johana Vasaryova, who placed 15th with him at the 2020 European Children Championships. A year later the pair competed at the 2021 Children Europeans in Oliva Nova, landing sixth place. In 2022 they contested the junior level classes.

In 2023 Firestone sold to Pavla Appeltova as a children's horse for Anna Milena Appeltova and they showed at the 2024 European Children Championships in Opglabbeek, where they were 38th in the team test. At the 2025 Children Europeans they were 27th in the tem test.

On 18 January 2026, Vasaryova announced the passing of Firestone.