Breyer Traditional Keltec Salinero Hanoverian - For Kids

There is no doubt that the fiery and brilliant Salinero will go down in history as one of the all-time great dressage horses. Teamed up with Dutch rider Anky van Grunsven, they have swept many huge international competitions including the European Championships, three consecutive FEI World Cups, and an individual gold medal in the 2004 Olympics.

At the 2006 World Cup Finals, Anky and Salinero set a world-record for their top score of 87.925% in the Grand Prix Musical Freestyle, their specialty. Their freestyle, which was composed especially for Salinero and named Salineros Suite, gets high scores for both artistic and technical merit. Whenever they perform, the crowd thickens and a hushed expectancy fills the air. The audience knows they are about to see something extraordinary!

This was also the case for Anky and her Olympic mount Bonfire, whose musical freestyle, called Bonfires Symphony, earned them the individual Olympic gold in 2000. Ankys stellar riding has made her a celebrity in Holland, where equestrian sports are popular for spectators and competitors.

Anky began riding at the age of 6, got her first horse when she was12, and qualified for her first Olympics when she was 20. She has since ridden in four more Olympic Games, winning individual gold medals in 2000 and 2004. Today she is ranked number one on the FEI/BCM Dressage Riders' World Ranking List and credits her father and her trainer and husband, Sjef Janssen for her success.

Dressage, a French term meaning "to train," encourages a horse to be forward, supple, and attentive. In her first sculpture for Breyer, artist Brigitte Eberl captures performing the passage, a highly collected, elevated form of the trot. Paired with Anky, Salinero performs the passage with elegance and grace, just as he is depicted in this Breyer model.