Vai Bruntink's Grand Prix Ride Ebony Sold to Spain

Dressage

Spain

Vai Bruntink's internationally competed Grand Prix ride Ebony has been sold to Spain. He will continue as a schoolmaster for Spanish young rider Alba Sánchez Martínez.

Horses.nl first reported the sale.

Licensed Stallion

Ebony is a 15-year old KWPN stallion by Painted Black out of Vanolite (by Jazz x Contango). He is bred by A. Groen.

Discovered as a youngster by Sjak Laarakkers and Vai Bruntink, the horse was owned by the group Laarakkers and Astrid van Driel-De Jonge. Later owner W. Hoogeslag joined the group.

He was licensed at the KWPN Stallion Licensing and scored 84 points at the 2013 KWPN Autumn Stallion Performance Testing.

As a breeding stallion he sired the licensed sons Knock Out (by Ebony x Dreamcatcher) and Nikson W (by Ebony x Blue Hors Zatchmo).

Sport Career

Vai and Ebony were fifth in the 2013 Pavo Cup Finals and third in the 2013 KNHS Subli Championships. In 2014 they were 9th in the semi-finals, but did not land a top 10 place in the finals.

The pair represented the KWPN studbook at the 2014, 2015 and 2016 World Young Horse Championships in Verden and Ermelo, finishing 9th in the finals for 5-year olds, 9th in the consolation finals for 6-year olds, and 5th in the consolation finals for 7-year olds.

In 2019 they made their international small tour debut in Exloo and then a three year absence from international showing followed.

In 2022 the stallion was gelded to be focused on sport. He returned to international arena at the 2022 CDI Geesteren at big tour level, scoring 62.978% in the Grand Prix. A month later they competed in Meerle, where they posted 63.109%. More than half a year later they competed at the CDI Sint-Truiden in April 2023, where they got 67.761% in the Grand Prix but were eliminated from the Special. This was their last international show.

Sold to Spain

Ebony has now been sold as a schoolmaster to Spanish Isabel Martinez Valdelvira for her daughter Alba Sanchez Martinez to ride.

"Ebony is the very first horse Sjak and I bought since we were together," said Vai. "He is a very special horse for us and we have so much wonderful memories with him. For a while I felt that we had done enough GP competitions together and we always said that for the right person he would be one day for sale. We are so happy that this person is Alba."

Alba Sanchez has been competing in Spain in the children classes with Hebreo II de Ymas.