Anky Saddles
The choice of champions...Anky Van Grunsven is undoubtedly one of the world’s leading dressage riders, her achievements include... Olympic Gold Medallist and World Champion.
Anky’s outstanding performance stems from her commitment, patience, attention to detail and passion, all of these ingredients have been poured into her range of dressage saddles.
As designed and ridden in by Anky at the World Equestrian Games we are proud to introduce the Anky Salinero Smooth & Anky Salinero Buffalo...
Anky dressage saddles are designed to enhance the rider’s ability to effectively use the three classical communication channels that flow between horse and rider. They feature a non restricting seat to allow clear seat aids, minimal bulk through the panel and flap to encourage precise leg aids and superior balance plus independent, soft rein contact.
Netherlands` Anky van Grunsven is an equestrian icon Anky van Grunsven has topped soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo as the favorite athlete among schoolchildren in the Netherlands, where she`s also the leading female sports moneymaker.
She`s helped make horseback riding the nation`s fifth-leading sport and developed a business empire that stretches from a fashion house to the television screen. Anky Riding Shirts
Stableexpress is an exciting website designed for the rider in search of the perfect equestrian clothing.
Anky Van Grunsven
Theodora Elisabeth Gerarda ("Anky") van Grunsven (born 2 January 1968 in Erp, Noord-Brabant) is a Dutch Dressage champion who won the gold medal in the 2000 Olympics with her horse Bonfire and gold in the 2004 Olympics and in the 2008 Olympics with Salinero.
Anky Van Grunsven has also dominated World Cup Dressage competition, being named the World Cup Dressage Champion eight times, in 1995 (Los Angeles, riding Cameleon Bonfire), 1996 (Gothenburg, riding Cameleon Bonfire), 1997 (s'Hertogenbosch, riding Cameleon Bonfire), 1999 (Dortmund, riding Gestion Bonfire), 2000 (s'Hertogenbosch, riding Gestion Bonfire), 2004 (London, riding Gestion Salinero), 2005 (Las Vegas, riding Keltec Salinero), and 2006 (Amsterdam, riding Keltec Salinero), 2008 (Brabant, riding IPS Salinero)
Anky Van Grunsven is married to her trainer/coach Sjef Janssen who entered the world of horses at the age of 28 and introduced new views on training
Anky van Grunsven's success in the dressage world is almost unparalleled. The gifted rider has won an astonishing eight Olympic medals, a feat only recently matched by German rider Isabell Werth. Her most well known equine partners are Bonfire, who retired in 2000, and her current top horse, Salinero.
A rider from an early age, Anky became interested in dressage when she used it to help control the power of her first show jumping horse, Prisco. Prisco went on to became her first Olympic dressage horse at Seoul in 1988 and Anky's conversion to dressage was absolute. Anky Van Grunsven became Dutch champion for the first time in 1990, a feat she has repeated 12 times since.
Anky Van Grunsven is married to her trainer, Sjef Janssen, and has two children, Yannick and Ava Eden. Sjef and Anky have formed a formidable partnership, coaching other riders up to grand prix level at their yard in the Netherlands. Anky also teaches clinics abroad.
In April 2009, Anky Van Grunsven and Painted Black were beaten into second place at the World Cup final grand prix kür in Las Vegas by American rider Steffen Peters. Salinero, her top horse and 2008 winner, was absent after being denied a wild card entry.
