French Owned Grand Prix Horse Stormy River Moves to Canada

Dressage

France

The French owned Grand Prix horse Stormy River, which Cathrine Dufour had in her barn to be sold, has found new owners in Canada.

Stormy River is a 13-year old Hanoverian by San Amour out of Xayana HB (by Weltmeyer x Metternich). He is bred by Heike Bonhorst.

Stephanie Collomb

Collomb bought Stormy River as a newly broken in 3-year old at Pascal Kandziora's barn in Germany. It was an unplanned purchase as Stephanie had just lost her Grand Prix horse Riverdance immediately after moving from France to the USA. Riverdance broke his leg in a slip and fall in Wellington and sadly had to be put to sleep.

In 2015 Stormy River was approved with the Oldenburg breeding society and did his 70-day performance test in Schlieckau, scoring 7.19 overall. He covered a few mares but in 2017 he was gelded to be focused on sport.

Collomb sent the horse in training with her coach at the time, Dolf Keller, and he was first competed at age 6 by Kathleen Keller-Kröncke, who debuted him in Redefin in May 2018. He also participated in the German team selection trials for the 2018 World Young Horse Championships, but was not picked.

Collomb then took over the ride and won bronze with him at the 2019 French Championships for 7-year olds in Le Mans. In 2020 they moved to Florida and showed in two national classes at the 2020 Global Dressage Festival before Stormy River went back to Kröncke in Germany. Kathleen competed him once more in Elmshorn before Collomb made her international show debut on Stormy River at the 2020 CDI Le Mans at small tour level.

A year break from showing followed and in 2022 Collomb was back in Wellington for more CDI showing at small tour level. As of that year the pair has been training with Johnny Hilberath. In 2023 he did national shows at Inter II and Grand Prix level in France as well as in Germany with Collomb.

Cathrine Dufour

Stephanie then sent the horse to Cathrine Dufour in Denmark in December 2024, initially uncertain whether it would be just for training or to be sold. Collomb had just given birth to her first child in the autumn of 2024.

Dufour first presented Stormy River in the competition ring in April 2025 at a national show in Helsinge before taking him to the CDI Aalborg, where they won the Grand Prix with 73.283% and the Special with 69.468%. Dufour then rode him in one more national test, the Grand Prix at the 2025 Danish Championships and scored 65.54%

Move to Canada

Stormy River sold in September 2025 but the identity of the buyer has only been revealed now: Tracey Welby Bender.

The ride on the black has been allocated to Canadian Robin-Lynn Brent who rides at Stone Meadows equestrian center in Metcalfe, ON. She trains with Belinda Trussell and Gina Smith.

Brent competed internationally in 2014 and 2015 at CDI's in Saugerties, Ottawa and cedar Valley at small tour level on Trakehner Biolek (by Biotop x Caprimond). A long break from showing followed and she returned this year with two rides at second and third level in Canada: pony Dresscode High Tea D'Vi (by Dating AT) and 10-year old British bred Oldenburg mare Newton Flexitime (by Furst Romancier x Vivaldi).