Beata Stremler Has a New Grand Prix Star, Henderson

Sat, 02/04/2023 - 20:48
Poland
Beata Stremler on Henderson at the 2023 CDN Ankum :: Photo © Mhisen

Polish Olympian Beata Stremler seems to have a new Grand Prix star in the making in the 11-year old KWPN gelding Henderson. The pair finished second in the CDN Ankum Grand Prix with 73.667% on 2 February 2023.

Henderson is by Johnson out of Real Magic TH (by Roh Magic x Donnerschlag). He is bred by J. Vrolijken in The Netherlands

Polish Owned

Henderson's owner Ewelina Kwietowicz discovered as a foal.

She initially trained him in Poland as a young horse, but also spent some time riding him under the supervision of Jonny Hilberath in Germany.

Polish Kamil Pulinski was Henderson's next rider with whom he made his international show debut. The pair first competed at the CDI Zakrzow in October 2020 in the small tour. In 2021 they continued at that level at CDI's in Zakrzow and Samorin. Pulinski trained the gelding up to Intermediaire II level. 

Speaking the Same Language

Beata and Henderson
Kwietowicz knocked on Stremler's door asking her to take Henderson tot he highest level. He arrived in her barn little over a year ago. 

"Together with my trainer Christian Wendel we really took our time to become a combination, "Hendrik" and I," Beata told eurodressage. "I’m actually normally used to training horses from young age and teach them up the levels, growing together over years. I really felt that it was not so easy for me to directly speak the same language with Henderson and it took quite a time for me to feel that we both are a team."

The pair made its national show debut in Germany in May 2022 riding the Inter II test in Haftenkamp. They rode a few more Inter II tests that spring at regional shows to gain experience and mileage before making the jump to Grand Prix at the CDN Ankum in January 2023. They were third and first in the Special.

This week in Ankum, they were twice second, scored a rewarding 73.667% in the Grand Prix and 72.320% in the Special.

With Full Heart

The scores in Ankum raise hope for a bright future at international Grand Prix level this season. Poland is part of Group C which needs to obtain a 2024 Paris Olympic team ticket by finishing in the top two at the Olympic qualifier in Budapest in June. 

Henderson has all the assets for a horse for the big arena. 

With For Magic at the 2021 WCYH in Verden
"What I definitely loved about him from day one was his willingness to go, his motivation and doing everything with full heart," said Beata. "He never has bad days! He only might be over motivated sometimes. He has lots of talent for piaffe and passage and he’s a real fighter and horse that makes you smile everyday. But he also wants to be ridden with a lot of feeling and needs to get confidence from his rider."

Ascent

The 38-year old Stremler has been based at Gut Auric and Gestut Rinnen in the past, before she moved to Sudenhof in Hagen in 2021 to work closely with Holga Finken. That collaboration ended after she won bronze at the 2021 World Young Horse Championships with For Magic and Beata has been training with Wendel for over a year. 

Stremler's first international Grand Prix horse was Martini (by Deryl x Madryt), which took her to the 2011 European Championships in Rotterdam and 2012 Olympic Games in London. With Rubicon D (by Rubin Royal x Larome) she rode at the 2014 World Equestrian Games and 2016 World Cup Finals.

Climbing back to Grand Prix

After Rubicon sold to Japan, Stremler was without a Grand Prix partner for several years. With Sentinel Equesta (by San Amour x Don Primero) she rode a few national Grand Prix classes in 2020 and one CDI in Hagen in April 2021; but gave the ride to Holga Finken, who showed the horse in the autumn of 2021, before it sold.

Beata and FairPlay FSH at the 2022 CDN Ankum
Stremler has been focusing on getting Henderson established at Grand Prix. It's her first big candidate to make it back to the big time. 

"Since years I hope to come back to international Grand Prix one day again and of course I would have to lie if I said that I haven’t thought about getting there with Henderson," she said. "But we just do step by step and hopefully it will come one day."

Henderson is not the only Grand Prix horse in the barn. The 10-year old FairPlay FSH (by Feedback x Rubin Royal), owned by BG Heister-Blokesch, is another GP potential in the making. She piloted himcin his first S*** tests in October-November 2022. FairPlay has been in training with Beata since 2017.

Photos © Mhisen - Astrid Appels

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