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Anky van Grunsven, born on 2 January 1968, is a Dutch dressage rider.
She has won an astonishing nine Olympic medals, including team bronze at the London 2012 Olympic Games, making her the most decorated Olympic rider in history.
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 became Dutch champion for the first time in 1990, a feat she has repeated 12 times since.
Anky 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 and Painted Black were beaten into second place at the World Cup final grand prix k ¼r in Las Vegas by American rider Steffen Peters.
Salinero, her top horse and 2008 winner, was absent after being denied a wild card entry.
The partnership then missed the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky after Salinero injured his withers in the stable. Anky still got to compete at WEG, as a member of the Dutch reining team instead.
Anky van Grunsven videos
Anky’s major achievements
• Has won a total of eight medals at the Olympic Games
• Won gold at the last three Olympic Games
• Part of the 2005 Dutch Nations Cup team in Aachen that stripped Germany of their world leader title in dressage
• Twice world champion
• Four-times European champion
• 13 times Dutch national champion
• Nine-times winner of the World Cup finals
• Honoured as sportswoman of the year in the Netherlands in 1994
Anky van Grunsven pictures
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