Hesselhoj Donkey Boy, the licensed Grand Prix stallion and former World Young Horse Championship medal winner, has moved barns in Denmark. Ridehesten reported that a settlement has been reached in the legal dispute around Donkey Boy.
Donkey Boy is by the late ERA Dancing Hit and out of a Milan dam. He is bred by Dorthe and Hans Jørgen Hoeck.
Owned by Norwegian Kristin Andresen's company Equi Stallion ApS, he was competed by Jan Moller Christensen and won four consecutive Danish Young Horse Championships (4 - 7yo) and silver and bronze at the World Young Horse Championships.
In March 2020 Andresen decided to relocate Donkey Boy from Katrinelund to Helgstrand Dressage. In February 2022, Donkey Boy made his return to the show arena, winning the Intermediaire II with Anne Mette Strandby on 76.974%.
Sold to The Netherlands
In October 2022 Swedish magazine Ridsport reported that Hesselhøj Donkey Boy sold to Bartels Academy in The Netherlands for 2.5 million euro.
Ridsport wrote that Andresen believes the horse would be immediately resold to the Japan Riding Association as future ride for Bartels' student, Japanese Olympian Kazuki Sado, for a much higher price than the 2.5 million euro. Andresen signed the purchase contract on 16 June and received a signed copy from Bartels Academy back on 23 June 2022. According to Andresen the contract clearly stipulates that all responsibility for the horse in transferred upon signing.
Unfortunately Hesselhøj Donkey Boy got severely injured to the left hind leg in a barn accident on 29 June 2022. Since then a legal fight has began about the ownership of the horse as the horse was never paid for despite contracts signed.
Move to Katrinelund After Settlement
Ridehesten reported on 3 March 2023 that Donkey Boy has now moved back to Katrinelund as a settlement has been reached.
"The parties have now come to an agreement and have entered into a settlement," Ridehesten wrote. "This means that Hesselhøj Donkey Boy once again belongs to Equi Stallion ApS. The stallion is at the service of the breeders in the coming breeding season at Katrinelund."
To Eurodressage, Andresen explained that, “we reached a settlement that I am very happy with! And in addition I get to keep my star.”
Photo (c) Ridehesten
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