Eight KWPN-bred horses competed in the first eventing phase of the Olympic Games in Paris. Of these, Fedarman B (sired by Eurocommerce Washington) achieved the highest dressage score of 69.54%. Hiarado, one of three Diarado offspring in the field, rode under Jonelle Price, bringing the New Zealand team to the fourth position. The highest score was achieved by British rider Laura Collett, who scored 82.50% with the Holsteiner gelding London 52 (sired by Landos), placing Great Britain in the lead.

Boyd Martin praised Fedarman B's performance: “He gives me a lot of confidence in the ring, and that trust is mutual, which is fantastic. There were certainly things that could have been better, but that's always the case. I know he's not as advanced as some of the other horses here, like London. Fedarman B still needs to strengthen in all aspects. Nevertheless, he's like a slot machine: you insert a coin, and he delivers what you ask.”

95% Satisfied
New Zealand’s Jonelle Price, riding Diarado daughter Hiarado (out of Ubiola stb-ext prest by Ekstein, bred by L.G.M. ten Vergert from Enschede), scored 69.17%. Price expressed 95% satisfaction: “Hiarado has a good walk, it's a pity we lost points there. The cross-country won't be easy, but that's what makes it an Olympic cross-country. I can tell she's getting better, we just need a few more years for her to reach her full potential,” said the rider after her test.

Boonzaaijer Off to a Strong Start
Champ de Tailleur (Quidam de Revel out of Vera stb-ext prest by Oberon du Moulin, bred by A.C. Hoogendoorn and G.W. ten Pas from Winterswijk) scored 68.11% with TeamNL rider Janneke Boonzaaijer. The rider from Renswoude was the first Dutch competitor and expressed her satisfaction: “We were completely in our bubble. I was solely focused on my horse and riding the test. Champ de Tailleur is an experienced horse; he knows what to do within the arena. The goal for the cross-country is to go clear and within the time. In preparation, I will walk the course again and let my horse graze once more.”

Anything Can Happen in Cross-Country
Riding Enjoy (Cartano out of Next Joey stb pref prest by Haarlem, bred by her parents), Sanne de Jong had a strong start but tension in the changes cost many points, resulting in a score of 65.23%. “Dressage is not her strongest suit, it never has been and never will be. For today, I’m happy. Anything can happen in the cross-country, especially at a championship. There isn't one obstacle that keeps me awake at night, but if you ride hard, mistakes can happen. The goal is for all team members to avoid penalties on the obstacles. If we achieve that, we've performed well as a team.”

Don Quidam
Don Quidam (Quidam out of Nairoby keur by Amethist, bred by J. Schurink from Wijhe) scored 65.15% with Australian rider Kevin McNab. “He felt great during the warm-up. In the test, we had some really good parts but also a few costly mistakes, which we can't afford at the Games. The goal for the cross-country is to stay clear and ride as fast as I can.”

Competing for Foreign Countries
Cekatinka (King Kolibri out of Katinka ster prest by Julio Mariner), bred by Jan Greve, scored 65.45% with Japanese rider Ryuzo Kitajima, placing Japan in fifth place. El Mundo (Numero Uno out of Calvaro’s Bria Z by Calvaro Z, bred by H.G.K.M. Derks from Merselo) scored 64.85% under the Canadian flag with Michael Winter.

Three Jaguar Mail Offspring
The KWPN-recognized Jaguar Mail has three offspring in Paris. Czech rider Miloslav Prihoda Jr. scored 64.32% with Ferreolus Lat (out of Veonille II by Royal Dance, bred by A.J.M. van Esch from Eersel). “My horse was nervous, and so was I. After all, these are the Olympic Games. The atmosphere and the stadium are amazing to ride in; I hope to do better tomorrow.” Miloslav bought Ferreolus Lat as a foal from a friend in the Czech Republic. "We've been together our whole lives. He's very smart and fights for me in the work. We're competing in our second Olympics in Paris, and I'm happy to have him."

TeamNL
Raf Koremans achieved the highest score for TeamNL with 73.03% riding the Holsteiner Crossborder Radar Love, another Diarado offspring, placing TeamNL in ninth place.

Individual Results

Team Results

Olympic Games Media Guide

Source: KWPN
Photo of Hiarado: Dirk Caremans