Salinero injured, so Anky keeps reining | Horsetalk

While her top dressage horse Salinero is recovering from a wither injury, Anky van Grunsven has stayed on her cross-discipline path, taking part in another reining event, this time in The Netherlands.

Last weekend van Grunsven performed well at the Swedish National Championships, but was unable to follow that up at the CRI event in Oirschot on Thursday.

Van Grunsven felt that her ride had gone well, but this was not reflected in her scores of 68 and 68.5, given by judges Bartmann and Ohana.

"Maybe my expectations were too big after the good results in Sweden but I had a good feeling in the test. Of course I know it should be much better and this arena is more difficult than in Sweden. So I keep on practising!," she said.

The event was won by Belgium's Bernard Fonck riding the stallion Great Sunburst. He scored 72 and 73.5. The Dutch rider was Anky's trainer Rieky Young, who rode Burnt Starlight to equal fourth place with two scores of 71.5.

Van Grunsven's double Olympic gold medalist Salinero is thought to have been cast in his stable, causing swelling to one side of his withers. He is expected to be back in work in about three weeks.