Gestion Janssen, one of Imke Schellekens-Bartels' first Grand Prix horses, has passed away at age 19. The chestnut Saxonian bred gelding (by Fierant xx x Rasant) spent his retirement at his last owner Valerie de Bock's place in Oostmalle, Belgium.
Janssen was born in 1991 and originally named Ferry Boy. He was the first dressage horse which Imke Schellekens trained to Grand Prix level herself. He was owned by Mr Strating, whose company Gestion sponsored Schellekens as well as several more Dutch team riders in the early 2000s.
Schellekens showed Janssen between 1999 and 2003 and he was the horse that bridged the gap between Imke's rides on her mom's Olympic horse Barbria and her own 2004 Olympic mount Lancet. Imke also competed Janssen at the Dutch Championships in 2002 and 2003.
"Janssen was an important horse in my career," said Schellekens. "He wasn't the most talented horse that I had, but I trained him to Grand Prix myself. He came in the period that I needed a successor for Barbria, who was trained by my mom. With Janssen I had to prove that I could do it myself instead of just ride the horses of my mom. It wasn't always easy, because he lacked that extra bit of talent and was sometimes difficult as a stallion. We gelded him when he was 9 and he became easier after that. I learnt so much from him and I'm happy that he was able to spent his last years in retirement at a nice stable."
Photo © Dirk Caremans
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