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Looking Back: The 2012 Grand Prix of Aachen

Friday, 03 November 2017
Looking Back

In our new series 'Looking Back', we dig into the WoSJ archives. In the first part of the series, we take a look at some of the horses jumping in the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen back in 2012: Where are they now and which of them are still going strong? 


In 2012, the then 14-year-old Cedric (Chambertin 3 x Carolus II) ended 6th in the Grand Prix of Aachen with Laura Kraut in the saddle. And these two really belonged together: You think of Cedric, you think of Laura and you think of Laura, you think of Cedric. In 2008 they were on the winning team at the Olympics in Beijing and they competed at the WEG in Lexington in 2010. Cedric did his last show in Rotterdam in the summer of 2016 - where he won a class - and in the beginning of 2017 it was announced that he would be retired at the age of 19 after a fantastic career.

Read more: Cherry Knoll Farm announces retirement of Olympic gold medalist Cedric and Thank you Cedric!

Thomas Voss and Carinjo (Cascavelle x Landgraf I) were one of only two horse-and-rider combinations that were clear in both rounds as well as in the jump-off in the Grand Prix of Aachen in 2012 taking the second place. Shortly after Aachen, Haras des Coudrettes purchased Carinjo for Patrice Delaveau and the two hit it off straight away and have taken a number of wins over the last years. The stallion bred by Klaus Hermann Hollm is now 16-years-old, and by now also a well-known sire with offspring in the top-level sport.

Read more: Carinjo HDC to Patrice Delaveau and Delaveau and Carinjo *HDC prove to be a winning combination!

Marco Kutscher and Cornet Obolensky (Clinton x Heartbreaker) had amazing results together, and were on the winning German team at the Europeans in Madrid back in 2011. Just a couple of months after the 2012 Grand Prix in Aachen, Cornet Obolensky did his last show to fully focus on his job as a breeding stallion. The now 18-year-old stallion is year after year on the top of the Rolex WBFSH Showjumping Sire Ranking and is by now one of the most influential stallions in the world with numerous offspring at the highest level of the sport. 


Read more: Last show for Cornet Obolensky and Marco Kutscher and Does the apple fall far from the tree? Cornet Obolensky and some of his offspring! 2013 and Does the apple fall far from the tree? Cornet Obolensky and some of his offspring 2017 and WoSJ Exclusive; Thank you Cornet Obolensky!

Vivant has had several riders on his back in his career: During the Grand Prix in Aachen in 2012 it was Katharina Offel that rode him. It was Australia's Chris Chugg that brought Vivant up in the sport and shortly after the WEG in Lexington back in 2010 the stallion was sold to Oleksandr Onyshchenko, who rode Vivant himself for a couple of shows before Offel took over the reins. In 2013, Cassio Rivetti got the ride on Vivant and competed him until he was retired in 2016 at the age of 18.

Read more: Vivant in the process of being sold and Vivant vd Heffinck retires from the sport and From youngster to international Grand Prix horse: Vivant and Thank you Vivant and Vivant van de Heffinck sold to Coolballyshan Stud in Ireland 

Back in 2012, the then 14-year-old Catoki (Cambridge 8 x Silvester) was ridden by Philipp Weishaupt. At the beginning of 2013, Catoki was sold to the Hallundbæk-family in Denmark and Emil Hallundbæk took over the reins. With the young rider in the saddle Catoki was successful up to 1.50m level, and in April 2016 he did his last show in Lanaken as an 18-year-old. 

Read moreAllerdings and Catoki to Denmark

Allerdings (Arpeggio x Diamantino) was after this Grand Prix a part of the Swedish team at the Olympic Games in London with Henrik von Eckermann in the saddle. In the beginning of 2013 Allerdings was also sold to the Hallundbæk-family, just like Catoki. In the beginning their trainer Andreas Schou rode the gelding, but soon Emil's younger sister Clara took over the reins. 

Read moreAllerdings and Catoki to Denmark

The now 14-year-old Bella Donna 66 (Baldini II x Calido I) was only 9-years-old when she ended third in one of the most prestigious Grand Prix classes in the world: The Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen. Shortly after she was part of the German team at the Olympics in London. It was Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum that brought the mare up in the classes, and for many the sale of Bella Donna came as a big surprise. It was at the beginning of 2014 that the mare was sold to Qatar Armed Forces, and the young Hamad Al Attiyah started to ride her. Unfortunately, Bella Donna got injured and hasn't been seen on the international circuit since July 2014. 

Read more: Meredith and Bella Donna win their Grand Prix debut and Meredith and Bella Donna go to London! and Bella Donna won the most of the German horses in 2013 and Bella Donna sold to Qatar

Michael Whitaker and Amai (Nonstop x Bacara) won the prestigeous Grand Prix of Aachen in 2012. The pair was shortly after announced as reserve for the Olympic Games in London. Last year Amai got retired at the age of 16. 

Read more: Congratulations Michael! and Michael Whitaker announced as non-travelling reserve for the Olympics and Amai retired

The now 15-year-old Old Chap Tame (Carthago x Quidam de Revel) was in 2012 competed by Eugenie Angot. At the end of 2013 he was sold to Stal Tops, and Edwina Tops-Alexander started to ride the chestnut. They had 1,5 successful years together before Old Chap Tame was sold to Saudi rider Abdulrahman Al Rajhi. He has been competing the horse the last years, but so has also Abdullah Al Sharbatly, Khaled Abdulaziz Al Eid and Ibrahim Hani Bisharat. 

Read more: Old Chap Tame to Tops and Old Chap Tame to Saudi Arabia

Harrie Smolders and Exquis Walnut de Muze were a successful team for several years. The now 18-year-old mare did her last show in the summer of 2015 due to an injury. 

Read more: Harrie Smolders and Exquis Walnut de Muze new reserves for Holland in Herning

Marc Bettinger rode the then 10-year-old mare Oh d'Eole (Kannan x Papillon Rouge). Earlier on she had McLain Ward in the saddle. Shortly after the mare was purchased by Haras de Hus, and Michel Robert got the ride until he retired from the sport in October 2013. Kevin Staut then took over the reins on Oh d'Eole for almost a year, before the mare moved to the stable of Gregory Wathelet. In August 2016 the mare was retired from the sport. 

Read more: Oh d'Eole to Michel Robert and Oh d'Eole now seen under Kevin Staut and Oh d’Eole and Kevin Staut to part ways and Oh d'Eole to Gregory Wathelet and Oh d’Eole retires from the sport

In the first half of 2012, Pius Schwizer rode the now 16-year-old mare Carlina (Carvallo x Landgraf I) after he took over the reins from Philippe Le Jeune. Shortly after this photo was taken they were part of the Swiss team at the Olympics in London, but then the owner decided to give the ride to Trevor Coyle and in March 2013 the mare was bought by Oleksandr Onyshchenko. In the beginning Ulrich Kirchhoff was the rider of Carlina, but then Onyshchenko started competing the mare himself. The last international show registred of the wonderful mare was in July 2016. 

Read more: Pius Schwizer and Carlina end their partnership and Carlina to Alexander Onischenko

At the very end of 2011, right after Gregory Wathelet won the World Cup in Mechelen, Marcus Ehning got the ride on the stallion Copin van de Broy (Darco x Brownboy). Ehning competed the stallion very successful for two years until he was sold to Double H Farm, and Quentin Judge got the ride.

Read more:  Copin van de Broy to Marcus Ehning and Copin van de Broy sold to Double H Farm

Who doesn't remember the bucking Sterrehof's Opium (Polydor x Bormio)? The stallion and Marc Houtzager were a successful combination for years and competed for The Netherlands at the Olympics in Beijing in 2008. At the end of 2014 it was announced that Sterrehof's Opium would be retired at Jumping Amsterdam the following year, and as a 19-year-old he was thanked off with a beautiful ceremony. 

Read more: WoSJ Exclusive; Madeleine Broek on Sterrehof’s super stars Tamino, Opium and Uppity and WoSJ Exclusive; Marc Houtzager – on Tamino, Opium, Dutch super sponsors and team-spirit and Sterrehof's Opium gets official retirement ceremony at Jumping Amsterdam and Sterrehof's Opium retired with beautiful ceremony in Amsterdam and Images | Sterrehof's Opium's retirement ceremony

Now a bit less grey and five years older, but the now 14-year-old Chiara 222 is still going strong with the same rider: Ludger Beerbaum. 

Read more: Close-Up; Chiara 222

Janika Sprunger's Palloubet d'Halong (Baloubet du Rouet x Muguet du Manoir) was the horse everybody spoke about back at this time. The year after, the two finished second in the Grand Prix of Aachen and later that year Palloubet d'Halong was sold for a huge sum of money to Stal Tops and then shortly after to the Qatar Equestrian Federation. The 14-year-old gelding is now ridden by Bassem Mohammed, and has just been brought back after an injury. 

Read more: The Swiss team for the Europeans and Palloubet d’Halong to Edwina Tops-Alexander and Palloubet d’Halong to compete for Qatar and Bassem Hassan Mohammed takes over the ride on Palloubet d’Halong

Hans-Dieter Dreher and Embassy II (Escudo I x Silvio I) were fourth in this Grand Prix after being the fastest combination with four faults in both rounds. This horse-and-rider combination is still intact, and still competing. The beautiful stallion is now 16-years-old. 

Read more: WoSJ Close-Up; Embassy II

Just a couple of months after this Grand Prix, Nick Skelton's Carlo 273 (Contender x Cascavelle) was sold and Sergio Alvarez Moya took over the reins – and the two of them are still competing successfully together. 

Read more: Carlo 273 to Sergio Alvares Moya and WoSJ Close-up; Carlo 273 and That Special Bond – with Sergio Alvarez Moya

The now 17-year-old Taloubet Z (Galoubet A x Polydor) is another horse that has stayed intact with his rider Christian Ahlmann over all these years, and they have been hugely successful together with a team bronze medal from the 2016 Olympic Games and a team silver medal from the 2015 European Championships in Aachen as two of the highlights. 

Read more: Taloubet Z won the most! and WoSJ Close-Up; Taloubet Z and That Special Bond – with Christian Ahlmann



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