Spanish Grand Prix horse Wie Atlantico has been sold to British team rider Fiona Bigwood. The 9-year old Hanoverian gelding by Wie Weltmeyer x Rondo was sold by Spanish owner Juan Matute to Bigwood mid November 2008.
With this chestnut gelding Fiona hopes to have a new candidate for the British Grand Prix team and be back in the big team after the untimely passing of Mr G de Lully.
"Wie Atlantico has been over for around 3 weeks now and is lovely," Bigwood told Eurodressage. "He has been trained so well and is great fun to ride and is only young but seems to have so much potential. I can't wait to compete internationally again. I have missed it so much."
Wie Atlantico is bred by Jörn Merzdorf and was discovered as a youngster by Juan Matute at the Verden Elite Auction in Germany. Matute trained the gelding up to Grand Prix level and was listed as reserve pair for the Spanish team which competed at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong.
"He is one of the few horses that I have bought who knows all about the sugar bowl, which is nice" Fiona confessed. "As soon as I have finished riding him he gives me a look as to say 'I gave you a 100 percent, now where is my treat' and then walks behind me like a pet to the sugar. He is so sweet."
Bigwood and her partner Anders Dahl have left their stable in Germany to move back permanently to Great Britain, where they want to raise their two children and have their new equestrian centre "Bourne Hill" under construction.
"The move to the U.K has given me grey hairs! I don't recommend going through that to anyone but I have had a lot of support from others and we are past the worst now," Bigwood admitted. "The earth moving has just started on our place which is great to see. We have put in over two years of work on this project and now we can see something happening."
Bigwood is the owner of many young talented dressage stallions, including the 2008 World Young Horse Champion Dramatic. Fiona was a member of the British team at the 1993 Junior European Championships and the Young Rider European Championships from 1994 to 1996, all with Pablo Picasso. In 1996, 21-year-old Fiona was the youngest British rider ever to be selected for a Senior European Championships with Dance & Fly. Fiona was short-listed for the 1998 World Equestrian Games with Dance & Fly and Macho. In 1999, 2005 and 2007, she was a member of the European Championship team.
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