Patrick Van der Meer's Career Making Uzzo Retired from Sport

Dressage

The Netherlands

Uzzo, Patrick van der Meer's career making Grand Prix horse and Charlotte Kruiniger's schoolmaster, has been retired from sport. Uzzo is 22 years old.

He is a KWPN gelding by Lancet out of Orlandaise (by Indoctro x Wisconsin). He is bred by A. Schonewille.

From Verden to London

The long legged bay gelding established Van der Meer's career as a professional dressage rider.

The pair became the surprise winners of the 5-year old finals at the 2006 World Young Horse Championships in Verden, Germany.

They represented The Netherlands at the 2012 Olympic Games as an individual combination and finished 32nd in the Grand Prix Special. They were also first reserves on the Dutch team for the 2013 European Championships. This year the duo won team gold at the 2015 European Championships in Aachen. In the kur to music finals they finished 11th with 74.375%.

Charlotte Kruiniger

In September 2015 Uzzo sold to Dutch young rider Charlotte Kruiniger who also owned small tour horse Utility (by Jazz), Van der Meer's Grand Prix stallion Chinook (by Vivaldi x Havidoff), and Dark President (by Wynton x Ramiro Z x Pion).

She competed him at just one international show, in the Under 25 Grand Prix classes at the 2018 CDI Falsterbon where they scored 64.385% in the Short Grand Prix and 65.900% in the Kur. Nationally they showed lightly between 2016 and 2018, finishing 10th in the U25 division at the 2018 Dutch Championships. She competed nationally through 2019.

Four years after their results, owner Charlotte Kruiniger announced the horse's retirement from sport on 1 June 2023. The 22-year old gelding will stay with Patrick van der Meer.

Kruiniger recently built a brand new equestrian centre in Rockanje, The Netherlands, from where she run a business with long-time boyfriend and show jumper Roeland Plaisier.