With the 2024 Paris Olympics looming large (the opening ceremonies on the Seine will happen in seven months) two new international-caliber horses have been purchased by Zen Elite Equestrian Center for American riders.
The farm near Fort Lauderdale has bought Bohemian, the son of Bordeaux ridden to fourth place with a mark of 87.507 percent in the Tokyo Olympics by Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour of Denmark. The 13-year-old Westphalian gelding will be competed by Endel Ots, Zen’s resident trainer. He does not have any international results at Grand Prix level.
After the Tokyo Olympics, Bohemian was sold to South Korean rider Dong-Seon Kim, who finished 43d in the 2016 Olympics with Bukowski. Kim was a candidate for Paris, but he dropped that ambition and the horse came up for sale again. Bohemian was ridden since August by Patrik Kittel of Sweden. Their best score together was 75.872 percent for the Special in Herning, Denmark, two months ago.
Bohemian competing at the 2023 Global Dressage Festival with Dong Seon Kim. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
And Pan American Games team gold medalist Christian Simonson now will be riding Fleau de Baian, trained by the Netherlands’ Adelinde Cornelissen. Christian trains with U.S. Olympian Adrienne Lyle. Fleau de Baian is a KWPN (Dutch) stallion by Jazz. That horse’s best score with Adelinde was 78.325 percent in May’s Grand Prix Freeestyle at Exloo, Netherlands.
Christian, a star in the Young Rider ranks, won both the I-1 and Prix St. Georges on the mixed team at the Pan Ams with Son of a Lady, but does not have any international Grand Prix results.
“We have some really amazing horse/rider partnerships that we are excited about this season, and we are so proud to be supporting USA Dressage,” said a statement from Zen
Zen owner Heidi Humphries explained her plan in creating the facility was to develop a world-class sport horse center with the feel of a spa, oriented toward Broward and Dade counties south of equestrian hub Wellington in Palm Beach County.
With a 20,000-square-foot insulated covered arena, two outdoor arenas and a rehab/spa/gym for horses and humans, Zen Elite Equestrian Center is a full-service facility in Southwest Ranches.