Yasmin Westerink's Dibert L Passed Away

Dressage

The Netherlands

Dibert L, Yasmin Westerink's second young riders' horse, has passed away. Westerink announced the news on social media a week ago.

Dibert L was a 16-year old KWPN gelding by Vivaldi out of Liberty B (by Balzflug x Zaire). He was bred by H. Lamers.

Stephanie Kooijman

The bay gelding first came into the spotlight under former Dutch youth team rider Stephanie Kooijman who competed him between 2015 and 2019.

She rode him nationally at Advanced Medium level in 2016 and at small tour level in 2017. In 2019 she qualified him for the Dutch Small Tour Championships, in which she finished 7th in the consolation final.

Annabella Pidgley

Dibert L sold to British pony rider Annabella Pidgley in 2019 as a junior rider's horse alongside Hilus MBH and Belafonte.

Dibert L did his first national test at Advanced Medium level in July 2019 at Addington, but it was Belafonte who took Annabella first down the centerline at international junior riders' level in 2020. Dibert got overshadowed by Sultan des Paluds, who became Annabella's number one in 2021. They won double silver at the 2021 European Junior Riders Championships.

Dibert L made his international show debut at the CDI Grote-Brogel in September 2021 and claimed a triple victory. At the CDI Keysoe in October he was second and third.

Yasmin Westerink

Pidgley and Dinert at the 2021 CDI Grote Brogel

In February 2022 Dibert sold to Dutch pony rider Yasmin Westerink, who also bought pony Cognac IX from the Pidgley family.

The new duo made its international debut at the 2022 CDI Opglabbeek at junior level and rode into the top five three times. Rhey went to Kronenberg, Exloo, Hagen, but did not make the cut for the European Junior riders Championships. In the autumn of 2022 they found their stride at the CDI's in Waregem, Troisdorf and Aachen with three international wins to their record.

In 2023 the pair competed at CDi's in Exloo, Aachen, Tolberg, and Geesteren. At the latter show they won the Kur to Music but it turned out to be their final international. After winning bronze at the 2023 Dutch Junior Riders Championships the pair was selected on the Dutch team for the 2023 European Junior Riders Championships in Kronberg, but pulled out a few days before the start of the Championships due to an injury.

Untimely Passing

Dibert L was rehabilitating from his injury and in the meantime the Westerink family bought Amphitryon in October 2023, who helped her win silver at last weekend's Dutch Junior Riders Championships. Yasmin trains with Adelinde Cornelissen.

On 21 May Yasmin announced the passing of Dibert L.

"Dibert was simply too special for this world and he was taken far too soon," she took to Instagram. "I will always cherish our special moments together and never forget you."

Westerink told Eurodressage that, "he injured himself again after the first injury. We truly tried everything to make him better, but unfortunately it didn't help. It was a very difficult decision."