Uzzo, Patrick van der Meer’s career Grand Prix horse and Charlotte Kruiniger’s schoolmaster, has retired from the sport. Uzzo is 22 years old.
He is a KWPN gelding by Lancet out of Orlandaise (by Indoctro x Wisconsin). He is bred by A. Schonewille.
From the World to London
The long-legged bay gelding launched Van der Meer’s career as a professional dressage rider.
The pair became the surprise winners of the final for five-year-olds at the 2006 World Championships for Young Horses in Verden, Germany.
They represented the Netherlands at the 2012 Olympics as a singles combination and finished 32nd in the Grand Prix Special. They were also the Dutch team’s first reserve players for the 2013 European Championships. That year the duo won team gold at the 2015 European Championships in Aachen. They placed 11th in the Kur-to-Music finals with a score of 74.375%.
Charlotte Kruger
In September 2015, Uzzo was sold to young Dutch rider Charlotte Kruiniger, who also owns the small tour horse Utility (by Jazz), Van der Meer’s Grand Prix stallion Chinook (by Vivaldi x Havidoff) and Dark President (by Wynton x Ramiro Z x Pion) owned.
At the London 2012 Olympics, she only competed in one international show, and that was in the U25 Grand Prix classes at the CDI Falsterbon 2018, where she scored 64.385% in the Short Grand Prix and 65.900% in the Cure. At national level, they underperformed between 2016 and 2018, finishing 10th in the U25 division at the 2018 Dutch Championships. She competed in national competitions until 2019.
Four years after her results, on June 1, 2023, owner Charlotte Kruiniger announced the horse’s retirement from the sport. The 22-year-old gelding stays with Patrick van der Meer.
Kruiniger recently built a brand new equestrian center in Rockanje, The Netherlands, from where she ran a business with longtime friend and show jumper Roeland Plaisier.
Photos © Digishots – Astrid Appels
related links
Patrick van der Meer’s Uzzo sold to Dutch Young Rider
Van Silfhout and Team Germany are leading after the first day at the 2015 European Dressage Championships
Dutch team for the 2015 European Dressage Championships announced
Van der Meer wins the Rotterdam CDI Grand Prix 2012 and becomes a hot Olympic contender
The surprising conquest of Uzzo and Patrick van der Meer in Verden
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