Dhannie Ymas Retired from Sport

Dressage

Spain

Spanish youth riders team horse Dhannie Ymas will be retired from competition sport. The Bacariza family confirmed their plans after daughter Natalia rode him in his last show at the 2024 CDI-W Ocala this weekend.

Dhannie is a 17-year old Hanoverian gelding by Don Crusador x Weltmeyer. He is bred by Hinrich Engelke in Germany.

Juan Francisco Fernandez Munoz

Dhannie sold to Spain as a 4-year old in the 2011 Hanoverian November auction in Verden for 17,000 euro.

As a young horse the black was owned and ridden by Juan Francisco Fernandez Munoz. In 2012 he represented Spain at the World Young Horse Championships, where he finished 12th in the 5-year old consolation finals. The won the 2012 Spanish Young Horse Championships.

With Fernandez at the 2013 WCYH in Verden

Dhannie was the highest scoring young horse in Spain and at the 2013 World Young Dressage Horse Championships in Verden, where he finished 15th in the consolation finals. At the 2013 Spanish Young Horse Championships, they earned silver.

Juan Matute Guimon

In September 2013 Dhannie sold to Javier Bacariza and Cristina Danguillecourt who own Yeguada de Ymas, with a Spanish and Wellington based branch. At the time the family worked closely together with Spanish Grand Prix rider Juan Matute Azpitarte and his son Juan Matute Guimon.

Under junior rider Juan Matute Guimon, Dhannie first represented Spain at the 2014 European Junior Riders Championships in Arezzo (ITA), where he was 13th in the Kur to Music Finals. They returned to the Europeans in 2015 n Vidauban (FRA), where they were fourth in the individual test and then wrote history for Spain by being the first ever junior pair to win a gold medal in the Kur to Music.

Matute and Dhannie move to young riders level in 2016 but also competed in the senior division as they won all small tour classes at the 2016 CDIO Wellington Nations' Cup.

In 2017 the black gelding did his first Grand Prix classes in the Under 25 division in Wellington in January but was dropped down to smal tour level again in March at the Global Dressage Festival. Their last CDI show together was the small tour at the 2017 CDIO Aachen, where they were second in the Prix St Georges and third in the Intermediaire I.

Natalia Bacariza Danguillecourt

In the winter of 2017-2018, Spanish junior rider Natalia Bacariza Danguillecourt took over the ride.

Natalia premiered Dhannie at junior level at the CDI Wellington at the start of March 2018 and won five classes in a row. They moved to Spain for the summer and represented their country at the 2018 European Junior Riders Championships in Fontainebleau (FRA), where they were 9th individually.

For the next six years the pair commuted between Florida and Europe. In 2020 they moved to Young Riders level and at the 2020 European Young Riders Championships in Pilisjaszfalu (HUN), they were 7th in the Kur.

At the 2021 European Junior Riders Championships

A year later they contested the 2021 European Young Riders Championships in Oliva Nova (FRA) and placed 8th in the Kur. 2022 was their last year as a YR duo with starts in Wellington, Ocala and Samorin.

As of 2023 Natalia began riding Dhannie in the senior small tour division. They showed at the 2023 Global Dressage Festival and then took a year break from CDI showing, to return in Wellington in 2024. They did the CDI Ocala in April and then had another 8-month show break, to finish their career as a pair at the CDI-W Ocala this weekend.

Retirement

Dressage-News first published that Dhannie would be retired from sport.

Natalia confirmed the news to Eurodressage and added that the plan was to retire him at the CDI Myakka City in October, but that show was cancelled due to a hurricane.

Dhannie, Natalia and his long-time groom

"This has been very emotional for me and it’s difficult to find the right words," Natalia told Eurodressage about her decision. "This horse has been one of the most significant horses in my equestrian career. He was the first horse that showed me how to be competitive in the ring and together we were able to achieve so many victories. However, what I’m taking with me the most from the past 7 years together is the amount of fun we had together. Dhannie loved being in the ring and being the center of attention and he really made competing be an enjoyable experience which you don’t get from all horses. I’ll forever cherish our memories together and miss having my rock at competitions that always put a smile on my face."