Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) and Valegro, a ten year old KWPN gelding by Negro owned by Carl Hester and Roly Luard. (Photo: Mary Phelps – phelpsphotos.com)

At the 2008 Olympic Games in China, KWPN horses occupied the entire winners podium in show jumping. Of course, the highpoint of the occasion was the gold medal Eric Lamaze (CAN) captured with the late Hickstead (s. Hamlet). However, when Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) won the silver medal aboard Ninja la Silla (s. Guidam), and Beezie Madden (USA) claimed the bronze with Ninja la Silla’s half-brother Authentic (s. Guidam), success was complete for the KWPN.  The following top Dutch dressage horses are strong contenders for the medals: Jerich Parzival (s. Jazz) with Adelinde Cornelissen; Uthopia (s. Metall) under Carl Hester (GBR); and Valegro (s. Negro) with Charlotte Dujardin (GBR). Several other Dutch horses are also strong medal candidates. Expectations are high again this year. Several Dutch-bred horses are among the medal candidates in show jumping, including World Cup winner Plot Blue (s. Mr.Blue) under Marcus Ehning (GER); Big Star (s. Quick Star), under veteran rider Nick Skelton (GBR), who will do his best to win on his home turf; and Dutch champion Jur Vrieling with VDL Bubalu (s. Baloubet du Rouet). For years, the KWPN has led both the jumping and dressage studbook rankings of the WBFSH, the international umbrella breed organization. And KWPN horses are on the rise in eventing. All eyes are now on the Olympic Games in London, where 35 Dutch horses will excel under riders from 20 different countries, like Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Japan, Jordan, Mexico and the United States.

Country

Horse

Rider

ARGENTINA

Royal Power 

José Larocca 

AUSTRALIA 

Vedor

Julia Hargreaves

Watch Me vd Mangelaar

Matthew Williams

AZERBAIJAN

Warrior

Jamal Rahimov

BELGIUM

Vigo d’Arsouilles (KWPN recognized) 

Philippe Le Jeune 

BRAZIL

Special 

Luiz Francisco de Azevedo 

CANADA

Star Power

Ian Millar

Victor

Tiffany Foster

CHILE

Underwraps 

Tomas Couve 

COLOMBIA   

Grupo Prom Royal Vinckenburgh 

Rodrigo Diaz 

EGYPT

Wervel Wind

Karim El Zoghby

FRANCE

Silvana HDC 

Kevin Staut 

GERMANY

Plot Blue (KWPN recognized)

Marcus Ehning

GREAT BRITAIN

Big Star 

Nick Skelton 

Murka’s Vindicat W

Peter Charles

JAPAN

Avenzio 3

Taizo Sugitani 

JORDAN

Vrieda O

Ibrahim Bisharat

MEXICO

Victoria

Federico Fernandez

THE NETHERLANDS

Eurocommerce London (KWPN recognized) 

Gerco Schröder

Sterrehof’s Tamino

Marc Houtzager

VDL Bubalu (KWPN recognized)

Jur Vrieling

VDL Groep Verdi TN (KWPN stallion)

Maikel van der Vleuten