There
is much ado about this pair lately, Gonnelien Rothenberger-Gordijn
and Leonardo da Vinci. With Gestion Silvano N being
out of shape and possibly losing his position as fourth
horse in the Dutch Olympic Dressage Team, a team place
has been opened and Rothenberger is poised to grab it.
While her husband Sven Rothenberger is dealing with
back problems and is occupied in his father's business,
Gonnelien has taken over his breeding stallion Jonggor's
Weyden (by Western Star) and shows her own Leonardo
da Vinci. Although Weyden is her first choice due to
his easy rideability, she believes that the elegance
of Leonardo will charm crowds and judges.
Leonardo da Vinci is a 13 year old Oldenburg gelding
by Landadel x Coriolan bred by H. Krushe from Ganderkesee,
Germany. The horse is very temperamental and difficult
to ride, but Gonnelien is finally able to push a clear,
correct test out of him. His temperament and sensibility
make him a real horse to peep at. "It has taken me a
year to click. Between the WEG in Rome and the 2000
CHIO Rotterdam I was able to score 70% with him but
had never ridden a waterproof test," Gonnelien said.
"Leo has all it takes to be the perfect horse, I just
need to gain his trust."
Due to her pregnancy Gonnelien was bound to stay home,
but a period of seven months enabled her to get connected
with the bay star. The first results of this great combination
were visible at the CDI Ebreichsdorf in Austria, where
the pair scored sky high points and showed that they
are ready for a trip to Sydney.
There
is much ado about this pair lately, Gonnelien Rothenberger-Gordijn
and Leonardo da Vinci. With Gestion Silvano N being
out of shape and possibly losing his position as fourth
horse in the Dutch Olympic Dressage Team, a team place
has been opened and Rothenberger is poised to grab it.
While her husband Sven Rothenberger is dealing with
back problems and is occupied in his father's business,
Gonnelien has taken over his breeding stallion Jonggor's
Weyden (by Western Star) and shows her own Leonardo
da Vinci. Although Weyden is her first choice due to
his easy rideability, she believes that the elegance
of Leonardo will charm crowds and judges.
