Belgian Team Pony Ico van de Beekerheide Sold to The Netherlands

Tue, 08/04/2020 - 22:27
Belgium
Jette de Jong and Ico van de Beekerheide at the 2020 CDI Grote Brogel :: Photo © Astrid Appels

The Belgian dressage team pony Ico van de Beekerheide has been sold to The Netherlands. He will continue his sport career as a schoolmaster for 11-year old Aniek Hoorn. 

Ico van de Beekerheide is a 14-year old Dutch NRPS pony by Icoon out of Coco Valrosa (by Kooihuster Folkert). 

He was initially licensed as a stallion with the NRPS society in 2010 and was proclaimed "Stallion with the Best Trot". Later on he was gelded to be successfully focused on a sport career. He was first competed in Holland by Demy Kurstjens and finished 10th at the 2010 Dutch Young Pony Championships. 

Sold to H.J. Groeneveld, the liver chestnut pony made his international show debut at FEI Dressage Pony level in 2015 under Dutch Kim Noordijk.

Noordijk and Ico had their debut at the CDI Roosendaal and campaigned through 2016 at CDI's in Hagen, Nice, Le Mans, Nieuw en St. Joosland, Odense, and Roosendaal Indoor. He was fifth at the 2015 Dutch Pony Championships and sixth in the Kur at the 2016 Dutch Pony Championships.

In 2017 Ico disappeared off the international radar to return to the arena at the 2018 CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland with the Dutch born Belgian ride Jette de Jong. Achieving solid scores at Compiegne, Diepenbeek and Leudelange, the pair was nominated on the Belgian team for the 2018 European Pony Championships in Bishop Burton, where they finished 21st in the individual test. They finished fourth at the 2018 Belgian Pony Championships.

De Jong pats Ico at the end of their last CDI together
In 2019 De Jong and Ico rode in Lier, Joosland, Saumur, Compiegne and Hagen, to be re-elected on the Belgian team for the 2019 European Pony Championships in Strzegom, where they were 29th in the individual test. The icing on the cake that year was becoming the 2019 Belgian Pony Champions.

De Jong continued to compete Ico after Strzegom at CDi's in Waregem and Aachen, as well as the 2020 post corona CDI Grote Brogel, but this year she has opted to focus on junior riders' level with her horse Heavenly Charming.

Her pony has now been sold to 11-year old Aniek Hoorn as her FEI pony schoolmaster

Photos © Astrid Appels

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