Swedish Olympian and horse dealer Patrik Kittel has secured the ride on Bohemian and will make his international show debut with the gelding this weekend at the 2023 CDI Crozet.
Bohemian is a 13-year old Westfalian by Bordeaux out of Sunshine (by Samarant x Foxiland xx x Maraschino). He is bred by Heinrich Langewellpott in Germany.
Danish medal Winner
The liver chestnut gelding sold as a 2-year by Paul Schockemohle to Anita Lagoni in Denmark. He was first trained and competed as a 4-year old by Dennis Kjaer.
Cathrine Dufour then took over and finished 8th at the 2015 Danish Young Horse Championship. In February 2016 Bohemian was put in training with Katrine Kraglund as Cathrine focused on her first Olympics with Atterupgaards Cassidy. The horse also sold the Danish company Abildgaard Equestrian, owned by Dufour's friends and business associates, the Zinglersen family.
Kraglund rode Bohemian at the 2016 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo, where the chestnut gave a taste of his talent and complexity. In the preliminary round they were last, then won the consolation class and finished 8th in the finals.
He returned to Dufour and he became the big successor for Cassidy. Dufour and Bohemian finished fourth at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and got a double silver at the 2021 European Championships.
Korean Moment
In January 2023 Bohemian sold to the German company Sportpferde Galleria for which Korean Olympian Dong Seon Kim rides.
The chestnut was intended as his Paris Olympic hopeful and Kim immediately began his Olympic campaign by flying the horse to Florida and competing him in their first CDI in Wellington. They were entered for the Grand Prix on 23 February, but withdrew in the warm up. The next day they showed in a national class.
A week later Dufour coached Kim to his CDI debut on Bohemian in Wellington, where he scored 68.435% in the Grand Prix and 73.565% int he freestyle. The Korean rode Bohemian in two more CDI's, their Grand Prix high score being 69.978%.
A change of heart and business pulled Kim back to Korea and on 17 July Sportpferde Galleria announced on Eurodressage that Bohemian is back for sale.
Patrik Kittel
Bohemian was for sale at Hubertus Schmidt's yard but Swedish Grand Prix rider Patrik Kittel, who is part of the Helgstrand horse dealing conglomerate, was able to convince the owner to give the ride to him.
This weekend in Crozet, France, the pair will compete for the first time.
Photo © Astrid Appels
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Bohemian, Cathrine Dufour's 2021 European Reserve Champion, Sold