WONDERFUL VAN’T ZWAANENHEIKE

by Sally Burns

Wonder was purchased in September of 2006. I had just sold a big 18.2hh dressage horse to a vaulting family in England and was on the look out for a stallion of my own. I had got the bug for riding stallions when a good friend of mine Jennifer Gilchrist at Romanno Stud bought Broadstone Westcountry and asked if I would like to ride him a couple of times a week to keep him fit. She knew I adored this stallion and it was a dream come true. To her I am forever grateful.

I saw an advert for Wonder on the internet with picture on Euro horses owned by Sophie Rudge in Gloucester. He was a 3 year old colt just backed in Holland and ridden away. She gave me the breeding He was by Rhodium who was by Ferro and his mothers breeding was Vincent and had Rubinstein also. He also had superb jumping lines of Le Mexico and Ramiro Z and I thought I really needed to go and see him. So myself and David (my every tolerant husband) jumped in the car a couple of days later and went to see him.

He was standing in a stable eating hay looking very quiet. They brought him out he looked lovely my only debate was he was 16.1hh and I had just sold an 18.2hh. He moved lovely in hand and they tacked him up. One of their riders rode him and he went lovely but I still was not sure. David said get on him yourself and see what you think. It was just as well as when I rode him I had never felt power like it as it was like riding a 17.2hh he was fantastic. He was obedient and superb trot and canter could do changes. I did not want to get off. The only way I can describe him is he is like a sponge absorbs everything you ask him to do and never argues. So we bought him.

When he arrived with us he settled in very quickly and we then decided to get him graded with the BWBS in the November. So we worked really hard to get him ready and entered it. In the November we headed off. On arrival there were a lot of stallions who looked stunning I did at one point think what am I doing here. We bedded him down for the night and I got up early the next morning to get him ready and plaited up.

Early morning was the trot up which he was super. Then we did the running the triangle and loose schooling. Afternoon came the loose jumping he was awesome at this. I always remember running the length of the school with him running into the jumping lane and letting him go he was like a machine just popped down it did not even bother. The jumps kept getting higher and higher and the final jump was above my head and I could not touch either side of the spread. I felt ill looking at it and I said to David I cant let him jump that it is huge. I knew I had to so with fingers crossed ran for the last time down the lane he went straight down clearing each jump with ease and I held my breath over the spread and he did not even look at it.

Then we all had to queue in number order into the school and they read out if they passed or failed. David took him I as I could not bear it I think 3 horses in front all failed and then they read out his number and he had passed. I was ecstatic and could not believe it as in the end he was only one of nine that passed that year.

So in the spring of 2007 we covered our first mare with him and a few people we knew sent in mares to him as well. He was fab to cover with and I continued to ride him and compete and could not believe that he never bothered with the other horses at competitions. As a 4 year old he won the 4 year old Badminton Young Horse Qualifier at Myerscough. We trained with Trish Gardiner who loved him and tried as often as we could to go to Yorkshire once a month to Ian Woodhead.

In 2008 his first foal was born a bay filly and one of the girls on the yard bought her. She called her Wynona which meant first daughter her dam was by Broadstone Westcountry out of a Concorde mare. That summer we showed her at RHS she was second and was in the top 3 all summer.
In 2009 the next batch of foals were born a black colt Wonderful Noir full brother to Wynona and a bay filly out of my Davignon Prinz Paradox mare who had been awarded her Sport Dressur Predicate from the KWPN the year before. Noir did well in showing classes with his mum and we took them to the BEF Futurity for the first time. Noir gained a First Premium Dressage although we were told he should have been in the eventing section and Artemis the bay filly was given 2nd premium as she was a bit flat on the day from her 3 hour journey but all in all we were very pleased.

In 2010 his third crop of foals have been born Wunjo another stunning black colt a fully brother to Noir and Wynona was born this colt had a real look at me about him. A lovely bay colt was also born out of Woodcroft Helena by EH Sixtus and the dam line was Hohenstein she was loaned to me by Vinca Boorman of Ashbank Equestrian. We ventured to the futurity at Myerscough first with Noir and Wynona. Noir gained first premium in the eventing section and Wynona gained 2nd premium just missed first in the eventing section.

The following week we went to Richmond with the 2 foals. Helenas foal was first to go in the eventing section he gained 1st premium again a a little flat with the journey but very positive comments about him. Then Wunjo came in and again he was entered in eventing section. He went round showing himself off and looked great. Once seeing him go the judges wanted to change him from eventing to dressage and whow what a score high first premium of 8.97 just missed elite we were ecstatic.

So 2010 was a good year for Wonder he himself is now starting to compete at Elementary. Noir has had many wins this year and Reserve Championships and Wynona has again done well showing. They both are qualified for the Scottish Sports Horse final in September. It will be a couple of years yet before the first ones are out under saddle and Noir at present has been kept entire to see how he progresses as people don’t think we should cut him but it is a long way to go. For the future we hope to have Wonder available by AI and each year more people are using him as his progeny are speaking for themselves.