Anyone that is slightly into football will recognize him: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The topscorer of the Swedish national team is not only known for his successful career, but also his remarkable personality. Yesterday, the football player announced that he has made an investment in an entirely different area. Via Geerink Stables he bought the six-year-old mare Grande Dieni ster PROK EPTM-spr sport-spr (s.Eldorado van de Zeshoek). 

“Animal recognizes Animal. My newest challenge: Grande Dieni,” introduced the Swedish celebrated striker his newest possession to his many followers. The six-year-old mare scored no less than 85 points for scope at the EPTM-test and mare inspections and has achieved impressive results in the show ring this season, amongst other their win in the finale of Kronenberg. 
Versatile breeding
Grande Dieni was bred by Janneke Gnodde of Terschelling. The Eldorado van de Zeshoek-daughter comes out of the mare Vidieni, a Gelder mare by Parcival with a wide range of predicates: elite PROK preferent prestatie sport-spr sport-dr. Gnodde: “I bought Vidieni when she was one-and-a-half years old. She was crowned champion as a foal and I also brought her to the inspections when she was three. In Hengelo she became vice-champion and at the National Mare Inspections in Ermelo she was placed fourth. Then she was active in Z2-level dressage and 1.30m level jumping.” The versatility at such high level is impressive and can be found back in her breeding. In combination with Flemmingh, she produced the Z2-level dressage horse Beste Dieni and with the sire Spielberg she gave the Intermediare I- dressage horse Diede Dieni of Annemiek Vincourt. The choice for Eldorado van de Zeshoek resulted in this Grande Dieni and her five-year-old brother Heraut (s.O’brien) is successful in 1.20m showjumping. Janneke Gnodde: “The Flemmingh-offspring is still in my possession and is now used as a broodmare. At the end of this year, Rom Vermunt hopes to present a young stallion by Dante Weltino out of Vidieni at the stallion show. In which breeding direction; jumping, dressage or Gelder, I do not dare to say yet. He can do it all! Vidieni was not in foal this year and is not for the coming year, after complications at the birth of the foal of 2016. Hopefully she can produce offspring in the jumper direction next year through embryo transplantation or ICSI. Yes, I will definitely opt for a jumper stallion then,” admits Janneke Gnodde. 
Fire-eaters
Janneke Gnodde continues: “The offspring of this lineage all display the same top mentality. Moreover, their health is remarkable, each one of them is radiographically sound. The good canter and human-oriented character helps in both sports directions. They horses with lots of blood, I always call them fire-eaters, but in the sense that they want to work for and with you. Grande Dieni seemed talented from a young age onwards. Though her exterior is functional, it is not luxurious, but she always jumped with that lots of scope. Now, in the 1.35m courses she still jumps with the same ease and then it is a waiting game for the right party. That this party is Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the Italian rider Michol del Signore, is fantastic!”

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Photo: Zlatan Ibrahimovic