Last week the VDL Stud announced the retirement of their stallion Zirocco Blue VDL.

The striking 13-year-old stallion by Mr. Blue x Voltaire did his last competition at the Rio Olympics last summer, and will now dedicate himself to his breeding career. 

With Jur Vrieling in the saddle, Zirocco Blue VDL won the team gold medal at the 2015 European Championships in Aachen. Zirocco Blue VDL was also on the winning Dutch team at the 2016 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in Rotterdam and in Rome back in 2015. In 2014, he won the CSI5* World Cup in Oslo as well as the CSI3* Grand Prix of Geesteren – some of many highlights from his career. Here, we take a look back at a few of them. 

All photos (c) Jenny Abrahamsson.