Westfalian Licensed Stallion Fonq Paralympic Hopeful for Rixt van der Horst

The Netherlands

Dutch para dressage rider Rixt van der Horst has been lining up Paris Paralympic hopefuls like no other. After having received the ride on Akuna Matata and Donauinsel from Egbert van Hes, the sponsor has now secured her another horse, Fonq.

Fonq is an 8-year old Westfalian stallion by Furst Fohlenhof out of Little Diamond RB (by Lissaro van de Helle x Dancing Dynamite). He is bred by Reiner Bockholt.

Licensed Stallion

Owned by Reesink Horses in partnership with Rüscher-Konermann, Fonq was approved by the Oldenburg society in a private licensing in May 2019. In April 2019 the Hanoverian society approved him and in January 2022 he was accepted for Westfalian breeding.

He tried to get KWPN approval by participating in the 2018 KWPN autumn stallion performance test but got entangled in a mandatory quarantine due to an EHV-1 outbreak in Ermelo and dropped out of the testing. Swedish Jessica-Lynn Thomas then rode Fonq to a 7th place in the 2019 Pavo Cup Finals as part of the a special approval trajectory for KWPN. He did not compete in the Finals the next day.

In February 2019 he did his first sport test in Munster-Handorf and scored 8.32 points. He did the 14-day suitability test in April 2019 and got 9,04 for dressage and 7,28 for show jumping, earning a top score of 8,45 points.

Sport Career

Fonq began his sport career in Germany under Ann-Christin Wienkamp who rode him to the title at the 2018 Westfalian Young Horse Championships for 3-year olds followed by bronze at the 2018 Bundeschampionate in Warendorf.

In 2019 Lena Grützmacher competed him before Jessica Lynn Thomas took over and renewed his title of the 2019 Westfalian Young Horse Champion. He did not return to the Bundeschampionate. She last showed him in the summer of 2020.

With Dinja van Liere at the 2021 CDN Haftenkamp

In 2021 Dinja van Liere competed the stallion twice at M-level in Germany in the Bundeschampionate qualiiers of Haftenkamp and Hagen.

Rixt van der Horst

Through the help of sponsor Egbert van Hes, Dutch para dressage rider has added Fonq to her line-up of horses. He has been given a new name: Eisma's Royal Fonq.

According to Horses.nl, Van Hes purchased the stallion. "Rixt was on cloud nine after she rode Fonq and also the team trainer was enthusiastic," said Van Hes. "To me these are essential conditions."

After the publication of this article Rixt told Eurodressage that she is no longer riding Donauinsel “as there was no click.” She’ll be working towards Paris with Akuna and Fonq.