Spanish Team Horse Grandioso Receives Green Light to Return to Competition With Olympics Goal

Martin Dockx and Grandioso. at the 2012 Olympics © Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

May 30, 2016

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

Grandioso, the Spanish team horse ridden by Jose Daniel Martin Dockx, has received the green light to return to competition after undergoing 10 weeks of treatment for an injury and will seek to earn a start at the summer Olympics.

Kimberly Boyer of Hampton Green Farm, the American owner of the-17 year-old P.R.E. stallion, said Monday that Grandioso has been given a bye from the Spanish championships at Oliva Nova, Valencia this week but intends to compete at the CDI4* in Aachen, Germany July 13-17. The World Equestrian Festival will decide the team for the Rio de Janeiro Games.

Approval by Luis Lucio of the Spanish federation for Grandioso to return to competition came after team veterinarian Gaspar Castelijns inspected the horse last Friday, Kim told dressage-news.com.

Surgery was performed on Grandioso 10 weeks ago to repair a small tear in the synovial lining of the tendon. Kim said at the time if recovery was not complete in time for Olympic selection Grandioso would be retired.

“Grandioso has since completed several weeks of rehabilitiation in the aquatrainer followed by three weeks under saddle to restore strength,” she said. “Dani says the horse feels 100 per cent and is gearing up for the summer shows.”

Grandioso, the second highest Spanish combination in the world rankings behind Beatriz Ferrer-Salat and Delgado, competed on the Spanish team at the 2012 Olympics in London, the 2014 World Games in Normandy, France and the 2013 and 2015 European Championships.

Grandioso will be at the national championships to be schooled by Dani. He will compete Bolero, a 12-year-old P.R.E. stallion also owned by Hampton Green, of Wellington, Florida and Fruitport, Michigan in the Grand Prix.