Anne and Gertjan Van Olst’s influential breeding stallion Negro, one of the most significant sires in modern dressage and the father of Valegro, has died at the age of 29.
“One week before your 30th birthday, you, Gertjan and I decided that [the] time had come,” Anne said. “Out of love and respect, we had to let you go.
“Thank you for everything my love – you will be missed every second of the day, but your spirit will live on for ever.”
Negro was bred by Wouter Borgers and born in 1995. The striking black stallion, by Olympic Ferro out of the Variant mare Fewrie, made an immediate impact in the sport.
“I remember Ferro at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 – his piaffe and passage were like nobody else’s,” Gertjan told H&H in 2023.
“He had power and a really strong connection over the back, so I knew I wanted a son of his. Negro was exactly what I was looking for – and he became the most important stallion for us.”
Negro’s career began with a string of successes in KWPN young horse competitions. He won the KWPN young stallion titles for five- and six-year-olds in 2000 and 2001, securing victories at qualifiers across the Netherlands, and the final at the KWPN Stallion Approvals in ’s-Hertogenbosch.
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He also took the young star stallion title at Zwolle and was the highest-placed KWPN horse at the 2001 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Verden, finishing fourth under Anne with a score of 8.5.
He successfully transitioned to small tour level, winning three of his four starts, fuelling ambitions of a campaign for the Athens Olympics in 2004. But a hoof infection in 2003 brought his competition career to an abrupt end.
Although his time in the arena was cut short, Negro’s influence on dressage was only just beginning. He became one of the most sought-after sires in the sport, producing offspring renowned for their movement, rideability, and natural ability for collection.
His most famous son, Valegro, changed the face of dressage with Charlotte Dujardin, rewriting the sport’s record books and securing Olympic, World, and European titles. Valegro’s dominance at the highest level firmly established Negro’s legacy as a sire of champions.
Recognising his impact on breeding, KWPN awarded Negro preferent status in 2012, a distinction reserved for stallions with outstanding influence. In 2017, he was named KWPN stallion of the year, and in the most recent World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses rankings, he was ranked 21st among the world’s top 100 dressage sires.
Negro’s bloodline remains one of the most influential in the sport; he has more than 1,650 registered offspring, 38 licensed sons and more than 20 offspring competing at international grand prix.
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Oscar joined Horse & Hound in October 2023 and is the magazine’s dressage editor and sports manager, overseeing coverage of equestrian sport. After studying equine science at Myerscough College, he spent four years working for leading dressage rider Emile Faurie, competing at the 2015 National Dressage Championships and travelling with the yard to CDIs including Aachen and Saumur. He holds a master’s degree in Literature from York St John University (2021).
