There is a reason Grier Van Rooyen's barn nickname for Oswald van de Leeuwerk is Ozzy. The 2014 Belgian Warmblood (Indouglas van het Bevrijdthof x Persinaa), owned by Calogera Borrello, has a rockstar personality as big as his jump.
Van Rooyen grew up around horses from the start. Riding runs in the family as her mother rides, and Grier was in the saddle by age four. She grew up in Wyoming where she and her mother spent time in Western saddles, setting out on leisurely trail rides in the beautiful prairies of “The Cowboy State.” Grier began competing at eight after her family moved to Fair Hills, New Jersey, eventually making the transition to the hunter ring. Now, with Ozzy by her side, she is making her mark on the national stage.
Van Rooyen first laid eyes on Ozzy this past April in Florida, and it was practically love at first sight. "As soon as I saw him, saw his markings and how pretty he was," she said. "He has the best jump ever and was so fun to ride." After a couple of tries, the decision was made. In the three months since, the pair have hit the ground running, competing in the Large Junior Hunter 3'3" division at Ocala Spring before heading north to Princeton Show Jumping in New Jersey, the prestigious Devon Horse Show, and HITS Hudson Valley. Their busy and successful spring campaign earned them a spot at the Adequan®/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship – East at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Out of the saddle, Ozzy is equal parts affectionate and mischievous. He has a habit of resting his head on your shoulder, fiddling with zippers, and generally inserting himself into whatever is happening around him. He even managed to unlatch his own paddock gate one day, though, true to his character, he didn't bother going anywhere. "The door was wide open," Van Rooyen laughed, "but he was still just hanging around."
It turns out that Ozzy’s show name actually suits him perfectly: Van Rooyen discovered that "Leeuwerk," a Dutch word, translates to lark — a word used to describe a merry, lighthearted adventure, a playful prank, or something done purely for fun or amusement. If Ozzy were a celebrity, Van Rooyen says he would be Ryan Reynolds. "He's funny and handsome," she said with a grin.
For Van Rooyen, this week marks her first Junior Hunter National Championship, and she is approaching it with clear eyes and big ambitions. "I really want to have smooth rounds and hopefully place in a class," she said. Looking further ahead, she has her sights with Ozzy set on the indoors in the fall, aiming to put together solid, consistent performances and continue growing with her new partner.