The
career of 18-year-old Barbria has finally come to an
end. During the CDI-Amsterdam, The Netherlands, the
bay mare made her final public appearance with her last
rider Imke Schellekens-Bartels in the saddle. All her
life, Barbria has been a part of the family Bartels-De
Vries. Although Barbria never gave the appearance to
have been worn out by her ever-lasting competition career,
the mare was given an honorary retirement before it
would have been too later. It is probably due to her
iron will and super strong blood that the mare was able
to stay sound this long.
Owner Isabel Sponselee was Barbria's first show rider
and has always been her only owner. Under Sponslee,
Barbria started her competition career on a regional
level but the mare quickly made an impression on Tineke
Bartels/De Vries and the bay changed barns. Bartels
made her debut with Barbria at Prix St Georges level
and continued to move upwards to Grand Prix level.
Barbria
was the first horse awarded the Olympic-status. Her
international dressage potential was recognized by the
Olympic-committee and they sponsored the mare so that
she would not be sold abroad. Barbria competed at various
international competitions with Tineke, with the 1996
Olympic Games in Atlanta as apex of this combination.
They won team silver and were able to ride the individual
final due to Nicole Uphoff's withdrawal from the competition.
Daughter Imke Bartels took over Barbria's reins from
her mother and used the mare as schoolmaster for three
years. Barbria will spent the rest of her retirement
at her owner's place and serve as broodmare. Barbria
is currently in foal with Jazz through embryotransplantation.
The
career of 18-year-old Barbria has finally come to an
end. During the CDI-Amsterdam, The Netherlands, the
bay mare made her final public appearance with her last
rider Imke Schellekens-Bartels in the saddle. All her
life, Barbria has been a part of the family Bartels-De
Vries. Although Barbria never gave the appearance to
have been worn out by her ever-lasting competition career,
the mare was given an honorary retirement before it
would have been too later. It is probably due to her
iron will and super strong blood that the mare was able
to stay sound this long.
Barbria
was the first horse awarded the Olympic-status. Her
international dressage potential was recognized by the
Olympic-committee and they sponsored the mare so that
she would not be sold abroad. Barbria competed at various
international competitions with Tineke, with the 1996
Olympic Games in Atlanta as apex of this combination.
They won team silver and were able to ride the individual
final due to Nicole Uphoff's withdrawal from the competition.
