Maikel VAN DER VLEUTEN (NED) riding VDL Groep Verdi Tn N.O.P. during the Second Qualifying Competition for the European Team Jumping competition at the FEI European Championships in Aachen, Germany on 20 August 2015
The “unique” stallion Verdi TN will retire from competition next month aged 18 after 10 years at the top of showjumping.
The ride of The Netherlands’ Maikel van de Vleuten will retire at the Dutch Masters, s-Hertogenbosch, on 15 March.
The Quidam De Revel x Landgraf I stallion made multiple team appearances with Maikel for The Netherlands. They were on the teams that won gold at the 2014 World Equestrian Games and the 2015 European Championships, and silver at the 2012 Olympics.
Maikel announced Verdi’s retirement on Monday (3 February).
“I’m proud to announce the retirement of Verdi after 15 wonderful years of working together with this unique horse, and after 10 fantastic years at grand prix level,” he said.
“At the age of 18 it’s time for a well-deserved retirement from the top sport, and [to] continue his successful career as a breeding stallion. His farewell from the sport will take place at the Dutch Masters before the Rolex grand prix.”
Verdi was 12th in the World Breeding Federation of Sport Horses jumping sire rankings in 2019 and has produced more than 80 offspring competing at 1.40m and above. He is is also sire to the KWPN-approved stallions Farmgraaf and First Verdi.
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Verdi’s other career highlights with Maikel included individual and team gold at the 2014 Nations Cup final and individual and team bronze at the 2015 final. The combination also took part in five World Cup finals and placed seventh in the GCL play-off grand prix in Prague in November 2019, and second in the Paris CSI5* on 6 December.
Maikel said Verdi made him the “rider he is now”.
“Verdi, thanks for all the fantastic years that I have had with you,” he said.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
