Blue Hors Stud has named the Netherlands’ Edward Gal and Denmark’s Lars Petersen as riders for two Grand Prix horses, according to the Blue Hors website.

Gal is taking over the ride on Blue Hors Romanov, while Petersen, a rider for Blue Hors from 1993-2002 now based in the United States, will compete Gredstedgards Casmir.

Blue Hors Romanov competed on the Danish team at the 2011 Alltech FEI European Championships with previous Blue Hors rider Sune Hansen. Hansen and Gredstedgards Casmir showed at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games before the horse was laid up with an injury for most of 2011. Hansen was fired from Blue Hors this September.

“We are incredibly excited to have partnered with two of the world’s best riders to ride our two strongest Grand Prix horses,” said Blue Hors manager Esben Möller. “We have always had the goal to have horses for the Olympics, and we believe that with this decision has created the best-placed [scenario] to achieve strong results in London next year.”

Petersen tried Gredstedgards Casmir once in Denmark before making arrangements for the horse’s travel. The horse will leave for Petersen’s barn in Wellington, Fla., on Nov. 11.

“We do a lot of business with Blue Hors,” Petersen said. “They asked if I was willing to come over and try him, and that was basically it. He hasn’t done so much lately. He’s a little bit of a special horse to ride, but I think we can do it. I’m very excited about it. It’s a challenge, but it’ll be fun.”

After spending the winter riding the horse, Petersen plans on competing in Europe during May, June and July, attempting to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London for Denmark.

“I have to build him up slowly, even if it means I start showing him later in the season,” he said. “This winter will be spent really getting to know him, getting him fit and up to full speed, and then we’ll go from there.”