Danish Team Horse Grand Galiano Sold to Sweden

Dressage

Sweden

Grand Galiano, Rikke Dupunt's Danish team ride at the 2025 European Championships, has been sold to Sweden.

Grand Galiano is an 11-year old Danish warmblood gelding by Grand Galaxy Win out of Do It (by Don Schufro x Romanov). He is bred and was owned by Lotte and Gert Buchhave.

Blow for Denmark

At the start of 2026 and with the World Championships in Aachen approaching, where Denmark has to defend its team gold medal, the Danish A-squad is left decimated with the absence of no less than two of its team horses from Crozet: Jovian passed away and now Grand Galiano has been sold.

2022 Danish team gold medal winner Daniel Bachmann Andersen just sold another one of his Grand Prix horses, Diva Pilekaer, but secured the ride on Flash Gordon at least until after the summer so he can try for Aachen.

Nanna Skodborg Merrald last competed her number one, Blue Hors Zepter, a year ago in Neumunster, but Blue Hors confirmed to Eurodressage that Zepter is not officially retired from sport. Nanna is due to give birth to her first baby this spring.

Andreas Helgstrand has taken over the ride on Annabella Pidgley's 11-year old KWPN stallion Kadans and debuted him at the CDI Vilhelmsborg to a 68.978% Grand Prix score. Anna Kasprzak last showed Everian L at the 2025 CDIO Aachen in July and their come back is awaited. Anna Zibrandtsen has two GP horses in the running for 2026: Lumiere and Quel Filou.

Grand Galiano

Breeders Lotte and Gert Buchhave allocated the rode on Grand Galiano to Rikke Dupont, who debuted him as a 5-year old in 2020, winning the Danish Warmblood 5-year old championship in Herning.

In 2021 the pair competed at the Danish Young Horse Championships and finished 9th in the 6-year old Finals. In the spring of 2022 they moved to Prix St Georges level and made their international debut at small tour level in October 2022 at the CDI Vilhelmsborg.

Dupont, who trains with Allan Hansen, rode her first Inter 2 test on the black in February 2023 and her first international Grand Prix in Neustadt/Dosse in August 2023. They were fourth in the inaugural Louisdor Cup pilot project final for developing GP horses in Denmark. In 2024 they represented Denmark at the Nordic Baltic Championships, where they won individual gold. They were 9th at the Danish Championships.

Their key year was 2025. After showing in Lier, Tolbert and Aachen, and placing 8th (!) at the Danish Championships, they were nominated on the Danish team for the European Championships in Crozet, where Denmark won team XX. Rikke placed 12th in the Kur to Music finals. After Crozet they showed in. Herning and Stockholm. At the latter CDI they were second in the Grand Prix with 72.000%.

Sweden

Rikke announced on social media on 18 January 2025 that Grand Galiano has been sold to Sweden.

The black gelding has been secured by Sofia Ek for her growing string of horses. Ek is also owner of Belantis, Future Jazz Dancer, and Eye Catcher amongst other horses. She has two pony riding daughters, Sofia and Colinne. Daniel Bachmann Andersen has been training Ek and regularly commutes to Sweden to coach her.