Aagaardens Darbie Zalene, New Ride for Heather Blitz

Dressage

U.S.A.

American Grand Prix rider Heather Blitz has added a new horse to her line-up: the 6-year old Danish warmblood mare Darbie Zalene.

Aagaardens Darbie Zalene is bred by Brian Grønkjær Bak and was owned by Hanne Aagard. She is by Zack out of Darbie Dallas (by Don Romantic).

The mare came into the spotlight as a 3-year old when she captured a gold medal at the 2016 Danish Warmblood Elite Mare Show.

Under Ida Hofman-Bang she was first competed in August 2017 in the qualifiers for the 2017 Danish Young Horse Championships. She finished 24th in the warm up round of the Championship with 77.8. At the 2018 Danish warmblood Young Horse Championship in Herning she was eleventh. The mare was offered for sale in the 2018 Danish Warmblood Spring Auction in Herning at the same event, but did not sell.

Zalene has now been sold to American dressage rider Rowan O’Riley, who sponsors U.S. short listed Olympic team rider Heather Blitz.

"I will do a lot of training on Zalene, but it’s eventually a horse for Rowan," Blitz told Eurodressage.

Heather is currently based with the American elite Grand Prix team riders at Jewel Court Stud in Wuustwezel, Belgium, where they have set up their euro camp for the spring/summer. She will return with Rowan's Grand Prix mare Semper Fidelis back to the U.S.A in July.