Aaron Janicki's Heron Sold as Grand Prix Ride for Adam Steffens

Dressage

U.S.A.

Aaron Janicki has sold his internationally competed Grand Prix horse Heron to Candoit Farm as a Grand Prix horse for their head rider, Adam Steffens.

Heron is an 11-year old Dutch warmblood by Johnson out of the Gelderlander mare Ilina (by Bazuin x Ornaat x Balthazar). He is bred by W. Bruil and A Udo in Winterswijk (NED).

Dutch Start

The liver chestnut gelding, who is a mirror reflection of Don Olymbrio, was first competed in The Netherlands by the Australian Ian Smith. He campaigned the horse in 2017 in the 5-year old young horse classes and won the Horsefood Dressage Talent qualifier in Tolbert.

The pair also competed in the first Dutch team selection trial for 2017 World Young Horse Championships, but did not make the final cut as he sold to the U.S.A.

Heron was owned by Wim ten Pas at the time.

Aaron Janicki

Heron arrived in Mount Vernon, Washington U.S.A. mid 2017 at owner Aaron Janicki's yard. He developed him to Grand Prix level.

The new duo made its national show debut at First level at Meadow Wood Dressage in August 2017. Two years later they returned to the arena to compete at Fourth level in May 2019. In 2020 the horse made the big leap to Intermediaire II level, skipping the small tour all together.

In 2021 Aaron and Heron spent the winter season training with Lars Petersen and competing at Inter II level in Florida. Their first Grand Prix test was in May 2021 at Whidbey Equestrian Center Spring Dressage, riding a score of 63.67%. A month later they boosted that score to 67.925%.

Their international show debut was in November 2021 at CDI Thermal in California, where they posted 67.087% in the Grand Prix to place third. They won the Special with 67.511%.

In 2022 they returned to Florida to ride at the Global Dressage Festival and did three CDI's with scores between 63.085% and 67.702%.

Adam Steffens

Heron sold to Wendy Petrik of Candoit Farms in Jupiter, Florida, as a Grand Prix horse for their rider, Adam Steffens.

"He will be out and about showing soon," Petrik told Eurodressage. "We have big plans with this guy."