Esprit Dond D, New Olympic Hope for Jordi Domingo

Dressage

Spain

Spanish team rider Jordi Domingo has a new iron in the fire for the Olympic race: Esprit Dond D. He took over the ride on KWPN stallion from Alexander Brenninkmeijer.

Esprit Dond D is a 12-year old Dutch warmblood stallion by Johnson out of Udona D (by Ferro x Rosenkavalier).

He is bred in the Netherlands by PH. Meinen and owned by Joan Planas Gifra's company 21st Century Horses S.L.

Double Collaboration

The 33-year old Joan Planas has a long-standing collaboration with both the Spanish based 2008 Olympian Jordi Domingo as well as with the German based Spanish 2014 WEG team rider Borja Carrascosa.

Five years ago Domingo had Planas' Grand Prix mare Wonder (by Waterford x Regazzoni) to ride as a Rio hopeful, but in 2016 she was allocated to Carrascosa. Borja and Wonder were named Olympic team reserves. In 2017 the mare sold to Borja's student Nicole Vazquez Kramer.

Esprit Dond D

The black stallion Esprit Dond D has been owed by Joan Planas since he was a youngster. The owner competed the horse himself in the Spanish 4-year old classes in 2014, finishing 14th at the Spanish Young Horse Championships that year.

In 2015 Jordi Domingo took over the ride. In 2017 Planas competed the stallion at a local show in Krefeld, Germany.

Brenninkmeijer and Esprit Dond D at the 2020 CDN Voerde

As of November 2018 Esprit Dond D has been in training with Borja Carrascosa's life-partner, the Dutch Alexander Brenninkmeijer, who took the stallion to Grand Prix level.

The pair made its show debut in January 2019 at small tour level at the national show in Ankum, Germany. They moved to Grand Prix level in 2020 and their international Grand Prix debut was in Le Mans in October 2020

"Joan brought him to us to be trained further and eventually be sold," Alexander told Eurodressage. "I was lucky to train him to Grand Prix and show him at a few national shows with quite some good results, up to almost 71% in the short Grand Prix and almost 69% in the Grand Prix."

Brenninkmeijer said his international debut came "too early for both of us". The pair scored 65.000% in the Grand Prix.

"Right after that he went back to Spain for Joan to ride himself," said Alexander.

Olympic Hope

Esprit Dond D has returned to Jordi Domingo's barn though and the pair is making its national show debut this weekend in Barcelona.

Domingo will also be campaigning his 13-year old KWPN bred Dolman (by Lord Leatherdale x Partout) at this show. The 2008 Hong Kong Olympian has a third Grand Prix horse in the barn, the 11-year old Sonata DSH (by Scolari).