Theodora Elisabeth Gerarda (“Anky”) van Grunsven was perhaps the first international superstar of dressage. Anky holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by any equestrian athlete and is the only rider to record three successive Olympic wins in the same event. Along with her Olympic successes, she has won numerous medals at the World Equestrian Games, and was from 1990 to 2010, the only rider to have competed at every WEG since they began. Between 1990 and 2006, she competed at the Games in dressage, but in 2010 she was named as part of the Dutch reining team.

In addition to her Olympic and World Equestrian Games successes, Anky holds the record for the most wins at the Dressage World Cup, winning the event nine times between 1995 and 2008. She has also competed numerous times at the European Dressage Championships, winning seven individual medals and eight team medals between 1991 and 2009. Anky has had most of her success with two horses: Bonfire and Salinero. Bonfire, upon whom she had many of her early successes, was retired in 2002. Salinero quickly took over as Anky’s top horse, and remained in that position until his retirement in 2013, after making a major comeback to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games.