May 19, 2008
Anky van Grunsven is not thinking about retiring just yet; not even after the 2012 Olympic Games, of which she once said they could be her last competition (probably aboard Painted Black). Anky van Grunsven has two new horses at her disposal, "to keep herself sharp," she told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. It concerns the 8-year old Pari Lani and the 12-year old Odyssey.

"The former has a super hind leg. His canter is good, but he needs work on the basic training. The second horse is very talented, but the client who was riding him, didn't have the potential to get everything out of him. Now she has asked me to continue his training and maybe to ride some shows with him," she said.

Pari Lani is a Danish bred gelding by Solos Landtinus out of Nexen Stutteri's Fa-Pari (by Fanal Prydsholm x Alibi. In 2006, Para Lani was on the Danish Long List for the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses under Lotte Straarup. Pari Lani is now owned by Van Grunsven.

"He still needs much on the basic training, but I feel this horse has much talent. His canter is very good with a flashy hind leg. Just the thing I want," Van Grunsven explained.

The 12-year old Odyssey is a Dutch warmblood owned by a client of Anky's and is by Ferro x Zebulon.