worldofshowjumping.com

Tripple X arrived safe in Rio after an unexpected 23 hours in Dakar. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.After an unexpected 23 hour stopover in Dakar, Ben Maher’s horses Tripple X and Aristo Z finally arrived in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. The plane taking the horses to Rio developed problems, and had to wait for parts from Frankfurt. As the horses didn’t have the necessary papers in order, they could not get off the plane in Dakar – causing some serious headache for Ben, who tweeted about the unfortunate series of events. In the end the plane could leave Dakar, and Tripple X and Aristo Z arrived safe and sound in Brazil. Ben took to Twitter to thank Athina and Doda de Miranda – the organizers behind the event in Rio – and their team for their help.

That wasn’t to be all though, as Ben tweeted this morning about his own flight: “Delayed flight from Heathrow, apparently the crew are lost! I hope we make our connection to Madrid”.

Source: Ben Maher's Twitter account.

Two out of three individual Olympic medalists will compete in Rio de Janeiro. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.There sure are some fantastic riders that have travelled to Rio de Janeiro this weekend to compete at Athina Onassis Horse Show. Olympic medalist Steve Guerdat, Ben Maher, Gerco Schröder, Nick Skelton, Kamal Bahamdan and Marc Houtzager as well as world ranking leader Rolf-Göran Bengtsson are just some of the riders that will participate.

Click here for the total list.

Eurocommerce London and Gerco Schröder in Vienna. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Back and forth, back and forth; that seems to be the case when it comes to the Eurocommerce-horses and their possibility to compete abroad. The Dutch website horses.nl writes that Ger Visser jr. – the man behind the company Gevi International that owns several of the Eurocommerce horses including Eurocommerce London – has stated that Rabobank will deny access to the horses’ passports after this weekend’s event in Rio.

Exercised cornet and cc both feel good. Nice and relaxing at the stables with no riders :) #terriBoys all groomed and now relaxing after their dinner so now time for me #terri

Good news that the horses that were delayed in dakar made it to the show all good late last nite! #terri

Back at the stables, looking a bit pink after sunbathing time to get cornet and cc out again although their more interested in eating#terri

Rio roads, they were kind to us at 6.30am so no hold ups :) #terriWe are very lucky to have Terri as our guest tweeter as the top showjumpers have headed for the Ol Athina Onassis show in Rio that will take place next weekend. Terri, Cornet and CC have arrived in Rio and they have some great images and up dates for us. You can follow Terri on twitter @WoShowjumping, but here we bring you a resume of her tweets from the past 24 hours.

Just left home heading for frankfurt! Me, 8 horses, a whole load of equipment and my driver Marcel! #terri Horses relaxing in the truck so time for a snooze for me before the hard work begins! #terri

We have a new guest tweeter on, and this time it Marco Kutscher's head groom Terri Fitton! Terri has so far been tweeting some amazing photos of her's and the horses' travel to Rio, so make sure you don't miss out on this unique opportunity to see behind the scenes snapshots from how top horses such as Cornet Obolensky, Gotha and Monte Bellini travel long distance around the globe. Here's part one of Terri's tweets, but you can also follow her 'live' on our Twitter account.

Shane Sweetnam was awarded the Leading Rider Award for his high score of 870 points during the 2012 Hagyard Challenge Series.It was a thrilling $50,000 World Cup Qualifier at the Kentucky National Horse Show as 41 competitors gathered at the Rolex Stadium for their last chance to take the top honors and the highly coveted Leading Rider Award for the 2012 Hagyard Challenge Series. It was Shane Sweetnam who held on to his solid lead at the top of the standings for the 2012 Hagyard Challenge Series. Consisting of seven grand prix classes held during the 2012 show series at the Kentucky Horse Park, the Hagyard Challenge Series, sponsored by the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, offers a $50,000 Leading Rider Award. Sweetnam stepped forward to receive the award during the World Cup Qualifier at the Kentucky National Horse Show.

Olivier Guillon's new ride Silver Deux de Virton*HdC. Photo by Haras des Coudrettes.Haras des Coudrettes has purchased a new six year old stallion for Olivier Guillon. The beauty is called Silver Deux de Virton  and is by Kashmir van't Shuttershof x Heartbreaker. With this purchase Haras des Coudrettes keeps up their fantastic investments for French Showjumping.  Their new exciting competition stable – HdC Compétition - is also taking form these days, and are awaiting Kevin Staut, Olivier Guillon and Patrice Delaveau to move in over the next months.

Nael Nassar and Raging Bull Vangelis S competing at Spruce Meadows. Photo by Spruce Meadows Media Services.By Karim Mekawi, Egypt.

The first time he sat on horse-back he was the size of any average five year old, but unlike most of the stories we hear, he soon asked his parents to let him get off because it was getting too "boring". But once he discovered that fences and speed would eventually come into play, he eagerly got back on with a renewed sense of purpose. Now, 16 years later, his biggest dream is an Olympic medal.

He's also the highest ranked Egyptian rider in the world, and you surely don't get there without flying against the clock, over 1m50 - 1m60 jumps. But more importantly, you don't get there without enjoying yourself!

Terri is our guest tweeter from Rio. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Over the next week we have a new guest tweeter. Terri Fitton, Marco Kutscher’s groom, will give us reports from their travel to the Ol Athina Onassis show in Rio de Janeiro that will take place next week. Terri will give us some behind the scenes up dates so make sure you follow us on twitter.

We are hoping for some insights on flying with horses, and maybe a little revenge for Kay's photos from Lausanne and Vienna. We loved them, but not all of them were as flattering as the ones pictured had hoped for...

You find us @WoShowjumping. All Terri's tweets will be marked with #terri.

If you are looking for overnight stabling when out travelling, make sure to take a look at our new Overnight Stables-section that you can find here. The list is under development and new stables will be added as we go along. If you would like your stable to be added, or have other feedback to the list, please e-mail us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

You can now book your tickets to the 2013 Rolex FEI World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden. The final will take place on the 24 - 28 of April and will be the highlight of the indoor season.

Click here to see the schedule and the prices.

The World Cup final in dressage will take place during the same weekend.

Denis Lynch is tweeting. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.If you want to know what your idols, colleagues or friends are up to, you can follow several of the showjumpers on Twitter.

Rodrigo Pessoa, Kevin Staut, Ben Maher, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, Denis Lynch, Cian O'Connor, Jessica Springsteen, Olivier Philippaerts, Nicola Philippaerts, Abdel Said, Gregory Wathelet, Jens Fredricson, Reed Kessler, Edwina Tops-Alexander, Billy Twomey, Giulia Martinengo, Kamal Bahamdan, Peter Charles, Ashlee Bond, Guy Williams, Angelica Augustsson, Katie McVean, Laura Kraut, Steve Guerdat, Malin Baryard, Peder Fredricson, Daniel Zetterman, Dirk Demeersman, Lisen Bratt Fredricson are all active on Twitter. If you click on their name you will come to their Twitter account.

A new photo section is now available on WoSJ, and the gallery is updated with some of all photos from the GCT in Vienna. Images from both the CSI5* and the CSI2* classes can be found here. If you would like to purchase a photo, please contact Jenny Abrahamsson on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Dim lights Embed Embed this video on your site Khaled Al Eid’s ride Vanhoeve is now being competed by Cian O’Connor. The new pair got a great start together this weekend, when they won a Grand Prix class in Cavan, Ireland.  Cian explains to WoSJ that he is riding the horse for Khaled, and that the plan is that Vanhoeve will travel as a part of Cian's string to Caen, Lyon and Verona. Together with Al Eid Vanhoeve – a 10 year old Concorde-son – won two three star classes in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi early in 2012.

The coming weekend it is time for the FEI World Breeding Jumping Championship at Zangersheide stud in Lanaken, Belgium. 5, 6 and 7 year old horses will compete for the respective titles and the older stallions have their own class in "FEI Sires of the World". The Belgian Championship will also take place this weekend in Zangersheide.

Several top riders will be showing their promising up and coming horses. Jos Lansink, Philippe Le Jeune, Penelope Leprevost, Harrie Smolders, Christian Ahlmann, Jessica Kürten and Clarissa Crotta will all be present.

Conny ready for action, isn't he so handsome!! Plot don't worry your still my main man!!! #kayWe have been able to follow Kay Neatham behind the scenes over the last two weeks as she has been guest tweeting for WoSJ from the Global Champions Tour in Lausanne and Vienna. Every day we have collected Kay's tweets and here are her last tweets for now. We hope to have her back tweeting soon again!

Been up & about since 6, ridden boys in the ring, both so much fun to ride, moppy 'hacked' with don johnson, got the dressage perfect now #kay

We look forward to seing Patrice and Orient Express*HDC competing again. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The news are that Patrice Delaveau's ride Orient Express*HDC is doing well after he got injured in Aachen in July, and is expected to be back competing by the end of the year. Patrice and Orient Express*HDC were originally a part of the French Olympic team, but had to stay home as the lovely stallion got injured only a few weeks ahead of the Games. The owners of Orient Express*HDC at Haras des Coudrettes have decided to focus on getting the stallion back on top level and will therefore not have him available for breeding in 2013.

Baranus and Eric van der Vleuten. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Eric van der Vleuten’s promising ride Baranus (Baloubet du Rouet x Centauer Z) has been sold to Ian Millar. The nine year old stallion won the 2* Grand Prix in Roosendal in May, and was second in the 3* Grand Prix in Bonheiden in June. Baranus was owned by Eric himself, but will in the future be seen under Canadian colors instead of Dutch.

Source: horses.nl

So this started by terri throwing hay over esmar!!! Not a good idea, asking for trouble#kayWe are so lucky to have Kay Neatham – Marcus Ehning’s head groom – guest tweeting for WoSJ from Vienna. Kay takes our readers behind the scenes, and into the stables with her colleagues and the best horses in the world. For those of our readers that are not on Twitter we have collected Kay’s Saturday tweets below. If you want to follow us on Twitter, click here.

Regina Z with Harrie Smolders in Valkenswaard. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Studbook Zangersheide has rewarded Jan Wilms, the breeder of Harrie Smolder's top horse Regina Z (Rex Z x Savoy Hanover). The 12 year old mare is a grand-daughter of Ratina Z. Studbook Zangersheide has rewarded Wilms with a brand new BMW, a prize for having produced the winner of the Z Ranking 2012.  The Z Ranking is a worldwide ranking for horses from Studbook Zangersheide that compete in the international sport. This world ranking for Z horses always terminates in the end of September every year.

Hopefully Ninja La Silla will be back as a winner soon again. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.According to Stall Bengtsson & Kristoffersen's website Ninja La Silla will get a longer break. He has still not recovered fully from the infection that he got in Doha in March.

The hope is that Ninja La Silla will be back competing at the end of the World Cup season.

Found mozart and beethoven,wearing trainers,seriously:):)#kayKay Neatham – Marcus Ehning’s head groom – has been guest tweeting for WoSJ from Lausanne and Vienna. Here’s a sum-up of Kay’s day in Vienna on Friday. You can also follow Kay directly on our Twitter account here.

Rosalia La Silla and Bassem Hassan Mohammed in Vienna. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Many new combinations are out and about this weekend! Carinjo *HDC and Patrice Delaveau are competing at the Global Champions Tour this weekend in Vienna. This new pair was clear and placed in yesterday’s 1.45 class, and Friday they proved they are a couple to watch when they won the 1.45 class after just spending about a month together. Talk about fitting each other like a hand in a glove.  

Rosalia La Silla is also competing in the two star classes in Vienna with her new rider Bassem Hassan Mohammed, and the pair had one down in yesterday’s 1.40 class. Friday they went all the way to the top though, and won the 2* 1.40 class. A fantastic achievement at their second show together!

Iva Boes is giving us some inside from Leudelange this weekend. Photos private. This weekend one of our fantastic advertisers has asked us to make a little blog from the CSI2* in Leudelange, and who can say no to that? Iva Boes has travelled to Luxembourg together with her husband Marc to show off some of their horses. Iva and Marc run a stable in Germany, but are originally from Croatia and Belgium.  Follow Iva’s blog here, and take a look at these great pictures she has sent us.

Peter Charles. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Olympic team gold medalist Peter Charles has undergone a successful operation after a groin strain stopped him from competing after the Olympics. On his Twitter account Charles writes; “Op seems to have gone well. Thanks for all the messages of support.”

The WoSJ-team wishes Peter a speedy recovery, and looks forward to seeing him back in the ring as soon as possible!

Breakfast in the rathauskeller, so cool:):) finally having time with heidi also:):)#kayKay Neatham – Marcus Ehning’s head groom – has been guest tweeting for WoSJ over the last ten days. Kay has posted her tweets and photos on the WoSJ Twitter account since she hit the road to Lausanne and then Vienna, and here’s a sum-up of her day in Vienna yesterday where Kay and her friends managed to squeeze in a little sightseeing!

Number one - Cristallo and his rider Richard Spooner. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Cristallo (Caretino x Cicero) has climbed back up on top of the WBFSH ranking list after he had to give his spot away to Nino des Buissonnets for a few weeks. Cristallo is in the lead with 1590 points with Nino in second place at 1542 points. Big Star (Quick Star x Nimmerdor) has climbed up to third place at 1445 points and has pushed Casall La Silla (Caretion x Lavall I)down to fourth with 1435 points. Several wonderful horses are right behind them though, with Flexible, Carlina, Tripple X III and Cornet Obolensky on the following places.

To see the full ranking go here.

Nice big indoor; I galloped round the outdoor and went happy hacking #kayKay is now in Vienna for the Global Champions Tour and you can follow her on our Twitter account this weekend as well. Here is her last tweets but if you want to follow her directly you can follow us on Twitter.

Hi, I've had a busy 2 days riding & looking after my 2 boys +power, who's so cute,my new friend. Off to sleep now,ready to leave at 3am #kay

Here are a few pictures of the cute little place we stayed at, they have super facilities, good ground and gave us lunch everyday, nice #kay

Alexandr Belekhov with Sancho Pansa at the CSIO5* Bitsa, Moscow. Photo by Liza Zatravkina. The Rolex One to Watch for September 2012 is awarded to Alexandr Belekhov (RUS), who is currently based at the St Petersburg Horse Club (RUS). During the month of August, the 40-year-old jumped from 418th to 224th – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 194 places.

Belekhov, who started to ride when he was 10 years old, spent much of his early career training in St Petersburg, where he was also born and raised. Belekhov's first trainer was Larisa Tciganova, and throughout his career he has been trained by Nikolay Lekkin, Viktoriya Romanova, Viktor Romanov and Igor Samodurovskiy.

Belekhov's career highlights include winning an International 3* horse show in Moscow (RUS) in 2007, and also being crowned Russian champion at numerous indoor and outdoor shows. Belekhov most admires the German Show Jumper, Marcus Ehning, and his dream is to one day represent Russia at the Olympic Games.

Peter and "Vinnie" in Rotterdam. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Peter Charles' Olympic partner Murka's Vindicat W has been sold to the talented American rider Jessica Springsteen. The ten year old KWPN gelding has developed to be a top horse under Peter and in August they finished off their great partnership by winning Olympic Team Gold on home soil in London. Peter has put out the following statement on his Facebook page;

Wonderboy III is back with his former owner and producer in England. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.In August the news was that Denis Lynch had gotten the wonderful grey gelding Wonderboy III as a part of an exchange deal. Last weekend Wonderboy’s former owner and producer, Georgie Crumley, picked him up in Germany and took him back to England where the Flamenco de Semilly son walked into his old stable “like he’d never been away”.

Source: horseandhound.co.uk

Rik and Quarco de Kerambars. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Belgian rider Rik Hemeryck looses his ride on the twelve year old gelding Quarco de Kerambars (Darco x Skippy II). Rik has been riding the Darco-son since he was four, and the two have been very successful together. In 2011 they won the Grand Prix at the Sauté Hermes in Paris and they were third in the World Cup qualifier in Mechelen.  Rik and Quarco have also been picked for several Nations Cup teams. In the future the gelding will be seen under French rider Carine Gagliani, the daughter of Quarco de Kerambars' owner, Suzanne Gagliani.

Source: studforlife.com and lequimag.be

Edwina Tops-Alexander is in the lead ahead of Vienna. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The Global Champions Tour will be held in Vienna this weekend and it is the last leg before the big final in Abu Dabi. As usual several of the best riders will compete and it will be a thrilling fight for the points in the overal standing. Edwina Tops-Alexander is in the lead but only five points ahead of Rolf-Göran Bengtsson. Christian Ahlmann is on third place before Denis Lynch and Michael Whitaker. All of them will be in Vienna trying their best.

Click here for the total riders list.

Kay and Plot Blue in London. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Marcus Ehning's head groom Kay was tweeting for us during the GCT in Lausanne. She will be back tweeting from the GCT in Vienna this weekend. So if you don't want to miss any of here tweets you better follow us on Twitter. Here is Monday's tweets.

Mornin' I'm near Ulm, at friends of johann's. He has 2 horses and the big trailer here, for me to take to vienna...thinking about moving #kay

Rosa, johann's groom kindly feed breakfast for the boys, so I could sleep a bit, will need to move NOW though #kay

As I re-read some of these, my spelling, or words get muddle sometimes, multi-tasking, not always working out, sorry about this #kay

Here is Kay's tweets from Lasanne on Sunday and from here trip to Ulm where she is stayin until Wednesday. This weekend Kay and the boys will be at the Global Champions Tour in Vienna.

Very quiet here, everyone's gone back to bed, good idea #kay 

Marcus Ehning's head groom Kay is tweeting from Lausanne this weekend and you can follow her live on our Twitter account. Here are the tweets from Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Enjoy!

Conny and me found his father, cornet, and terri at the wash place #kay 

We don't want you to miss out on Kay's tweets even if you don't follow us on Twitter. So here is part four of the tweets and this time Kay was really on fire! Kay is Marcus Ehning's head groom and she is now in Lausanne for the Global Champions Tour.

Meeting friends out handwalking; kate, let's fly and sparkle #kay 

Michan hugging Rosalia La Silla after their last round in London. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Alberto Michan’s Olympic ride Rosalia La Silla has been sold to Qatar. The 11 year old mare by Cassini I x Contender impressed many in London where she ended fifth with her Mexican rider, who she has been with since she was nine. The pair claimed individual and team silver at the Central American Games in 2010, and team bronze at the Pan Am Games last year. This weekend Rosalia is competed by her new rider Bassem Hassan Mohammed in Lausanne, and the two ended fourth in a 1.40 class yesterday.

Chairman LS La Silla (Chapultepec La Silla x Capitol I) is also competing in Lausanne with his new rider Guillaume Hennequin from France. The 9 year old stallion was ridden by Alberto Michan and before him by Rolf-Göran Bengtsson. Both Rosalia La Silla and Chairman LS La Silla belonged to Club Hipico La Silla A.C./Alfonso Romo Garza.

Next week you can look forward to a WoSJ Exclusive with Alberto Michan.

The lovely Carlo 273 will in the future be seen under Sergio Alvares Moya. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Nick Skelton’s successful ride Carlo 273 (Contender x Cascavelle) has been sold to Spain. Sergio Alvares Moya has confirmed to WoSJ that he is the 11 year old grey gelding’s new rider, and that their first show together will be in Barcelona next weekend. Carlo has done extremely well under Skelton, and took home two bronze medals at the Europeans last year in Madrid – both with the team and individually. The two have won numerous classes together over the past years, and this year the super pair won classes in Chantilly, Hamburg, La Baule and Wellington to mention some.

We got a rosette, very cool round, good boy connie #kayYou don't want to miss Kay's tweets from Lausanne. She is Marcus Ehning's head groom and she is taking us behind the scene.

Here is her latest tweets but if you want to follow her directly you can follow us on Twitter here, and look for Kay's tweets that will have her signature #kay.

Had a lovely morning, with time for the boys, brushing, trimming and hand walk in the sun. Gonna read a few pages of my book now #kay

Gerco and Eurocommerce London are in Lausanne this weekend. Will this be their last show in a while? Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The Eurocommerce horses are an ongoing battle these days. Rabobank originally agreed on letting the horses travel to compete and be kept in form as well as bring in money. Problems occurred though as the Dutch Federation KNHS could not give the bank any guarantee about making changes in the horses’ passports, and Rabobank as the main creditor after the bankruptcy of Eurocommerce has thus changed their minds.

Arrived, waiting on line to unload #kay You don't want to miss Kay's tweets from Lausanne. She is Marcus Ehning's head groom and she is taking us behind the scene with a lot of photos.

Here is her latest tweets but if you want to follow her directly you can follow us on Twitter here, and look for Kay's tweets that will have her signature #kay.

Olivier Philippaerts - here with Cabrio vd Heffinck. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Olivier Philippaerts, who just won the Grand Prix in Calgary, will in the furture have the ride on the eight year old Cooper vd Heffinch (Caretino x Landlord). The approved stallion has earlier been ridden by Dirk Demeersman and then Vincent Lambrecht according to Stud for life.

Source: Studforlife.com

Judy-Ann and Levisto will compete in the Sires of the World class. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.On the 27th to 30th of September it is time for FEI World Breeding Jumping Championship for Young Horses at Zangersheide stud in Lanaken, Belgium. Several top riders will compete - Jos Lansink, Dirk Demeersman, Philippe Le Jeune, Judy-Ann Melcior, Daniel Deusser, Jur Vrieling and Clarissa Crotta will all participate.

Click here for the riders list and her for more information.

Now you can find even more photos on World of Showjumping. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.We now have even more photos on World of Showjumping! At the moment you can find a selection of photos from the Global Champions Tour in Valkenswaard, the CSI4* show in Münster and from the German Championship for Young Horses (Bundeschampionat) in our archive.

Just go in under the Exclusives-section and then choose Photos or click here. To purchase photos contact Jenny on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Truck in the garage and ready for action #kayMarcus Ehning's head groom Kay Neatham is guest tweeting on our Twitter account from the Global Champions Tour in Lausanne this weekend and from Vienna next weekend.

Here are Kay's tweets from the trip to Lausanne:

Hi, hit the road at 2324,got copin and cornardo on for the trip,plot was upset he couldn't come with.so far so good #kay

Gerco and Eurocommerce London in London. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Once again Gerco Schröder has been deprived of the possibility to take Eurocommerce London abroad. According to horses.nl it has been decided today that Rabobank will keep London's passport, despite earlier reports that the  passport was to be delivered back to the owner of the horse enabling Gerco to compete the stallion abroad.

London is one of several Eurocommerce horses that have been declared as property of the bankrupt company Eurocommerce. Through legal actions earlier this month Eurocommerce managed to get the passports back so that the horses could compete abroad, but now the passports are back with the bank again.

Marcus Ehning. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.By: Karim Mekawi, Egypt

In the show jumping world, only very few have come close enough in comparison with this sophisticated yet humble gentleman known now as the "German Gun" who studied whole-sale and foreign trade management and grew up to become a global show jumping phenomenon.

He is not just the hat trick- winner of the World Cup title on three very different mounts, a team Gold Olympian, former number one show jumper in the world or even the winner of the overall Global Champions Tour rankings a couple of years ago. He is much, much more than that, managing to grab the wins of almost every medal there is. He is truly, and purely a margin setter of his own.

Kevin and Uchin van de Cenatur in Cannes. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Kevin Staut‘s ride Uchin van de Cenatur has according to studforlife.com been sold to Brazil. The eight year old gelding by Chin Chin x Vondel van het Hendrixhof has been competed with success by Staut up to five star level, and was placed 6th in the 2* Grand Prix of Nice and 9th in the 3* Grand Prix of Vidauban. It is Victor Alves Teixeira who is the new rider of the horse, that has been bought by Haras Império Egípcio.

Source: studforlife.com

Kay will be our guest Tweeter this week. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.As of tonight you can follow Marcus Ehning’s head groom Kay Neatham on our Twitter account. Kay will be guest tweeting throughout the rest of the week, and during the next as she hits the road for the Global Champions Tour in Lausanne and Vienna.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter here, and look for Kay’s tweets that will have her signature #kay.

According to Horse and Hound the British Equestrian Federation has expressed their concerns about the draft rules that have been drawn up for the FEI Nations Cup.The format that has been drawn up is based on regional competitions where the teams qualify for two semi-finals and then a final that will be held in September/October next year. The British concern is that the draft leaves more questions then answers, and that these questions may not be answered in time for the 2013–season.

Tina Fletcher has broken her ankle. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.British rider Tina Fletcher has according to horses.nl broken her ankle. Fletcher's accident happened when she fell of her horse Hello Sailor in yesterday's Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows. Tina had to be taken to hospital, where examinations revealed the injury.

Source: horses.nl

Eric Lamaze pointing at Hickstead’s statue that was unveiled Sunday on the International ring, joined by John Fleischhacker (co-owner of Hickstead) and Mary Sand, artist. Photo Credits: Spruce Meadows Media Services. At Spruce Meadows the Sunday began with a tribute to one of the greatest show jumping horses of all time; Hickstead. A statue made in Hickstead’s likeness was unveiled to a capacity crowd. In a touching ceremony, Eric Lamaze (CAN) was inducted into the Spruce Meadows Hall of Fame along with his famed mount who passed away in November 2011. The bronze, made by Mary Sand, will stay permanently at Spruce Meadows, as per Lamaze’s wishes.

Source: Press release from Spruce Meadows Media Services

Eric Lamaze takes a break. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.According to Eric Lamaze’s website the former Olympic Champion has decided to take a break from competition. Lamaze can look back on an amazing career, but his life made an unexpected turn when his top horse Hickstead suddenly died last year.

On his website Lamaze states: “After many great years of contesting the sport at the top level for 12 months of the year, week in and week out, I’m looking forward to taking a little break and enjoying myself by travelling and playing a little golf." This weekend the Canadian rider is competing at Spruce Meadows, and his break will start when the event finishes. Lamaze does not plan to return to competition ring himself until the 2013 season.

We wish Lamaze a happy holiday and hope to see him back in the arena sooner rather than later.

 Source: torreypinesstable.com

Eric Lamaze had a course-walk with the audience. Photo credit: Kit Houghton/Rolex.Eric Lamaze offered an insider's look at the sport of show jumping on the opening day of the CSIO5* Spruce Meadows "Masters" tournament. The five-day international show jumping tournament which runs from 5th – 10th September in Calgary, Canada.

Rolex Testimonee Eric Lamaze welcomed approximately 30 guests to his stables on the morning of 5th September, providing an opportunity to watch Derly Chin de Muze being groomed in preparation for the day's competition. Lamaze spoke about Derly's development, as well as his recent experiences in London where the Canadian Olympic show jumping team had a top five finish.

Bosty and Ideal de la Loge in Hamburg last year. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The owners of Ideal de la Loge have responded and explained their choice in regards to the split between the stallion and its long-time rider Roger-Yves Bost. In a statement released on grandprix-replay.com the owners say that the decision to remove the horse from Bost was made following a disagreement over the management of Ideal de la Loge's career. The owners state that over the past ten months, Ideal went to shows five times and when he was expected to participate in Hamburg, Aachen, Calgary and soon Rio de Janeiro his place was given to other horses in Bost's string.

Equine Canada (EC) has announced that it has requested its Sport Council to strike a Hypersensitivity Protocol Task Force. The objective of the Task Force will be to review the International Equestrian Federation's Protocol for Thermography and Clinical Examination (Hypersensitivity of legs) to ascertain, from the perspective of Canada's equestrian sport community, if the protocol and its application are achieving the intended outcomes in an equitable and effective manner. "We made a commitment to our athletes and our members that we would undertake a review," states Equine Canada President Mike Gallagher. "We are honouring that commitment."

Robert Hayes, BMO Financial Group Senior Vice President of the Prairies Division, Gordon Milne, Artist and Ian Millar. Photo by: Spruce Meadows Media Services.It was a fitting start to the 2012 Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament. After decades of international-level sport, ten-time Olympian Ian Millar was awarded a portrait in the Canadian Sports Heroes Collection. Painted by Turner Valley artist Gordon Milne, the collection began in 2002. The collection features 15 of Canada’s greatest sports icons, ranging from swimmers to boxers, and now includes an equestrian athlete. After 23 years of partnership with Ian Millar, BMO Financial Group Senior Vice President of the prairies division, Robert Hayes, was on hand to unveil the newest portrait.

This weekend we are very lucky to have super-freelance-groom Alison Prescott blogging from Spruce Meadows- Alison has taken the long trip to Calgary together with Italian rider Juan Carlos Garcia and his two horses Bonzai van de Warande  and Prince. Alison is almost always smiling and (trying to) enjoy life wherever she is.

You can follow her blog here.

Cortez - here with Lisa de Ridder in Münster. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Nicola Philippaerts has according to the website Studforlife.com got a new top horse in the 10 year old Cortez (Quick Star x Quito de Baussy). The BWP gelding has until now been successful with the Belgian rider Lisa de Ridder.

Nicola's previous top horse Carlos V.H.P.Z was at the end of the summer sold to the Danish rider Emilie Martinsen.

A fantastic pair go separate ways; Bosty and Ideal de la Loge. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.After a fantastic partnership together with Roger-Yves Bost, Ideal de la Loge has left the French rider. According to grandprix-replay.com Bosty and the owner disagree on the 16 year old stallion’s sport career, which has resulted in the owner moving Ideal de la Loge (Dollard u Murier x Joyau D’Or A) to Olivier Robert.

Bosty’s father, Roger Bost, has confirmed the news to the French website and says that Ideal de la Loge has left their stable. According to his father, Bosty wanted to save the horse and target him for certain shows due to Ideal getting older and taking longer to recover after each competition. Apparently the owner disagreed on this approach. Grandprix-replay.com writes that most of all this is a very emotional loss for Bosty, who has ridden Ideal de La Loge since he was a youngster. Together with Roger-Yves Bost, Ideal de la Loge has won numerous competitions and last year the two ended up on top in the Global Champions Tour Final in Abu Dhabi.

Source: grandprix-replay.com

Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.On Sunday 9  September, Hickstead will be tributed in the International Ring at Spruce Meadows at 11 am. Spruce Meaows and Eric Lamaze will use this moment to remember the amazing stallion for all his great achievements and the wonderful athlete he was. Nearly a year after his death the showjumping circuit still feels a little empty without this special horse.

Source: sprucemeadows.com

Stakkato did his last lap of honor with a very moved Eva. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Stakkato entered the arena for the last time when he was thanked off in Warendorf at the Bundeschampionat on Sunday. The now 19 year old stallion had an amazing career with Eva Bitter, and the pair won the German Championship in 2010 and have taken part in several Nations Cups to mention some.

Stakkato did just two shows - Balve and St. Gallen - during 2011. He then got lame and a reason was never found. The famous stallion will now spend his retirement in Eva Bitter's stable after an arrangement that has been made with the owner Celle Landesgestüt.

The dark brown stallion has been very successful as a breeding stallion as well, and has several approved sons and has left fantastic showjumpers for the sport.

Nino des Buissonets has performed brilliantly this season. Photo by Hanne Christensen. Nino des Buissonnets (Kannan x Narcos II) has entered first place on the FEI WBFSH World Ranking List and has taken over the number one spot from Cristallo with an 82 points lead. The eleven year old Selle Francais gelding has more than deserved his position as he is the reigning Olympic Champion together with his rider Steve Guerdat.

Last month’s number one Cristallo (Caretino x Cicero) is currently number two on the ranking, 25 points ahead of Casall La Silla (Caretino x Lavall I). They are followed by several other amazing horses with Big Star, Carlina, Tripple X and Flexible on the following places. Nick Skelton has no less than two horses among top ten with Big Star as number four and Carlo 273 as number nine. The ranking include validated results from 01/10/2011 to 31/07/2012.

Malin Baryard-Johnsson with H&M Actrice W at the WEG in Kentucky 2010. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Malin Baryard-Johnsson's H&M Actrice W is back competing. This weekend H&M Actrice jumped at  a local show in Söderköping, Sweden. In the spring of 2011 the mare twisted a front leg, and although she was supposed to get her international comeback in Gothenburg earlier this year that didn't happen.

"Spent the day at a local show jumping a couple of young ones and the old and great Actice. She was sooo happy to be back in the ring again!!" Malin writes on her Twitter-account.

Eurocommerce London can travel abroad again. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.After the trustee in the Eurocommerce bankruptcy seized Olympic silver medalist London – in addition to other Eurocommerce horses – the horses’ passports were confiscated. This prevented the horses from travelling abroad. Horses.nl now reports that the passports belonging to London, New Orleans, Callahan and Capetown have been returned to Eurocommerce – enabling the horses to yet again cross the border and going to shows. The passports were apparantly returned after a legal request from Eurocommerce’s lawyer.

We are very happy to see Judy-Ann and Levisto Z in the arena again. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Belgian rider Judy-Ann Melchior is  competing again after she gave birth to a baby boy, Leon, in July. This weekend Judy-Ann  is competing at the national show Vosswinkeler Reitertage in Germany where she is riding Carry Z and her wonderful stallion Levisto Z. We look forward to seeing Judy-Ann back in the international arena again as well.

You can follow the results from the show in Vosswinkeler here.

Werner Muff and Kiamon. Here seen in Aachen. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.According to jumpinews.com, Edouard de Rotschild has purchased Werner Muff’s Olympic partner Kiamon (Kolibri x Ramiro’s Match). Kiamon and Muff have been a successful combination over the past couple of years. This year they were a part of the Swiss Nations Cup teams in La Baule, St. Gallen and Aachen as well as being selected for the Olympic Games in London.

With the purchase of Kiamon Switzerland has lost another top horse after the London Games. Earlier this month the news were revealed that also Pius Schwizer has lost the ride on his Olympic horse, Carlina. To make the story complete, Jumpinews.com also writes that Steve Guerdat's ride Ferrari (Furioso II x Polydor) reportedly has been sold to an unknown Brazilian rider. Guerdat and Ferrari recently won the Prize of North-Rhine Westphalia in Aachen in July.

Source: jumpinews.com

Quintero La Silla looks set to be back for the indoor season. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Rolf-Göran Bengtsson’s ride Quintero La Silla (Quantum x Chamonix) is back in training after an injury sustained in Geneva last year. After a long break Quintero La Silla is now in normal training, and the plan is according to Stall Bengtsson & Kristoffersen’s website to get the stallion back in competition when the indoor season kicks off.

Source: stall-bengtsson-kristoffersen.com

 The Elite Foal Auction in Borculo, Holland, took place on Thursday 30th of August. This amazing stallion foal - Herodios V - by Vittorio x Voltaire x Le Mexico was the show jumping foal that was auctioned out for the most money at 25.000 Euro. All photos by Jenny Abrahamsson. 

Take a look at Ludger Beerbaum's amazing jump-off in Münster that secured him the win with Chaman.

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On Thursday it is time for the big Elite Foal Auction Borculo in Holland and you can follow it live over internet. 75 foals will be sold and here you can find foals by Verdi, Action Breaker, Tornesch, Monte Bellini, Plot Blue, Casall, Bubalu and several other famous showjumpers.

To read about the foals, the auction and to follow it live on Thursday - click here.

Saer Coulter - here with her horse Springtime. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The promising stallion Don VHP Z (Diamant de Semilly x Voltaire) has been sold to American rider Saer Coulter. The eight year old Zangersheide-stallion has up until now been owned by Brendon Stud in Great Britain, and competed successfully by British rider Louise Pavitt. During the five star show at Hickstead in July the pair really made their mark, and ended fourth in the Grand Prix. The two also won the Grand Prix at Windsor earlier this year. Don VHP Z will in the future be seen under Coulter, who trains for Markus Beerbaum.

H&M Tornesch is back in work. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.After sustaining a light tendon injury in the middle of July, H&M Tornesch (Lux x Libero H) is now back in work. This is reported by his rider Malin Baryard-Johnsson on her Twitter-account. It was after the Nations Cup in Falsterbo that Malin decided to have the stallion examined as she did not feel he jumped as normal. The minor injury that was discovered sadly kept Malin and H&M Tornesch out of Olympic contest, but luckily the wonderful bay is now back in work.

Related story: H&M Tornesch out with injury

World of Showjumping plans to make a list over stables that offer stabling for short stops and stay-overs when travelling through Europe. To do that we would like to get in contact with stables that offer such services. If you run e a stable offering these services - or know of one - please send us an e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

We are happy to see Monte Bellini back in the ring. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Philipp Weishaupt was supposed to ride Monte Bellini at the Olympic Games in London, but when Monte Bellini got an infection that caused high fever both of them had to stay home. Instead Meredith Michales-Beerbaum and Bella Donna got to travel to London. The 10 year old stallion Monte Bellini (Montender x Ramiro) was treated in a clinic and is now back on the show ground and is competing in Münster this weekend.

Marcus Ehning is one of the riders that will give away 5 % of his price money. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.At the same time as the show in Münster takes place, the children in the second and third class of Münster's elementary schools will try to beat the world record in wooden stick-horse-riding in benefit of the World Hunger Help Organization. The German show jumpers also wanted to take part in the action so they decided spontaneously to donate 5% of their price money at the show. The German Chef d'Equipe revealed the good news and praised the initiative from the riders. Sunday five stick horses will be auctioned out. These horses have been made by Hans Günter Winkler, the Ehning family and the Beerbaum family.

Terri - one of our favorites - is back with her guest blog. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Terri Fitton is back as our guest blogger this weekend. Terri is Marco Kutscher’s showgroom and travels the world with Marco and his horses. This weekend they are nearly in their own backyard at the CSI4* in Münster to compete Cash, Cornet’s Cristallo, Spartacus and Pikeur Cole Porter.

You can follow Terri's great blog here.

Wonderboy will in the future be seen under Denis Lynch. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.According to Horse and Hound, Denis Lynch has sold his amazing nine year old ride Contifex (Cornet Obolensky x Corofino) to Syrain rider Ahmad Saber Hamcho. As a part of the deal Denis has taken over Hamcho’s Olympic partner Wonderboy III (Flamenco de Semilly x Jus de Pomme), Ben Maher’s former ride. “I’m gutted to lose a horse as good as Contifex, but that’s the nature of the business,” Denis told H&H.

The Olympic Champion will participate in Verbier. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Several top riders will compete in Verbier, Switzerland this weekend. The World Champion Philppe Le Jeun, the European Champion for Young riders Martin Fuchs, the Olympic team silver medalist Jur Vrieling and the Olympic Champion Steve Guerdat are just some examples.

The CSI3* show will start today and ends Sunday with a 1,50 Grand Prix.

Click here to go to the organiser's website and click here to see all the participants. (You have to scroll down a bit in the document.)

The Dutch Sport Horse Sales has a premiere. For the first time in the history of this auction, 6-year-old horses will also be sold.

One of the initiators of the event, international rider Yves Houtackers, talks about the latest development. Houtackers: 'We will not only auction 4-year-old and 5-year-old jumping horses but also 6-year-old horses for the first time. Most of the 6-year-olds are currently performing at such a level that they can, next year, immediately go through to the international jumping sport in their age category.'

The Olympics became the last competition together for Pius and Carlina. Here seen after their win in Oslo last year. Photo by Jenny Abrhamsson.Pius Schwizer will no longer have his top ride Carlina (Carvallo x Landgraf I) at his disposal. According to studforlife.com the owners of Carlina, Pro Horse International, have not been happy as the mare has not lived up to their expectations. The owners are open to selling the horse, but for now the horse is placed with Irish rider Trevor Coyle.

Tina Lund became a mother Monday. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The Danish showjumper Tina Lund got a son yesterday. On Monday it was exactly one year since Tina married her husband Allan Nielsen, and now that day is also the birthday of their son. Everything went well and the newborn was 53 cm long and weighed 3720 grams.

On Tina's Facebook page she writes: "Dear all. Now I can finally tell you that I got a son."

Source: Ridehesten.com

The reversation of the sale of London made in February, makes the horse a part of the Eurocommerce bankruptcy estate. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson. The bankruptcy trustee dealing with the bankruptcy of Eurocommerce has reversed the horse sales that were made from Eurocommerce to Gevi International earlier this year.  Gevi International is owned by Ger Visser jr, the son of Eurocommerce owner Ger Visser, and the sales are suspected to be made due to Eurocommerce’s big financial problems. Now the transactions have been reversed which makes the horses, including the double Olympic silver medalist London,  a part of the bankruptcy estate.

The fantastic stallion Eurocommerce London is confirmed seized, but is back with his rider. Here the two are seen in Rotterdam earlier this year. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.According to horses.nl, it is confirmed that Eurocommerce London has been seized. The stallion can therefore not be sold without permission from Rabobank, one of the the creditors after the bankruptcy of Eurocommerce, the company which used to own London. The horse is now back at Gerco Schröder’s stable to be kept in training. Also Eurocommerce New Orleans and Eurocommerce Callahan have previously been seized, but are now back with Gerco as all the horses naturally need to be kept in form.

Katie Monahan Prudent is the Rolex One to Watch for August. Photo by Sportfot/Rolex.The Rolex One to Watch for August 2012 is awarded to Katie Monahan Prudent (USA). Monahan Prudent divides her time between Rosières aux Salines (FRA) and Plain Bay Farm, which she runs with her husband in Middleburg, Virginia (USA). During the month of July, the 54-year-old jumped from 361st to 244th – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 117 places.

Carlos won the Grand Prix in Falsterbo this year. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Carlos V.H.P.Z – up until now ridden by Nicola Phillipaerts – has been sold to Emilie Martinsen. The 10 year old Chellano Z gelding won the Longines Grand Prix in Falsterbo in July, and was on the Belgium Nations Cup team in Rome, Rotterdam and Falsterbo this season. Nicola and Carlos V.H.P.Z also won the European Championship for Young Riders last year in Comporta.

Satisfaction with Marco in Gothenburg earlier this year. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Marco Kutscher’s ride Satisfaction FRH has been sold to Denmark. It is the 14 year old Emil Hallundbæk that will compete the 13 year old Stakkato-son in the future, and the new pair has already made their debut together at special invitational classes in Valkenswaard. Together with Kutscher Satisfaction FRH won the World Cup qualifier in Gothenburg earlier this year, and the two also won a five star class in Zürich in January in addition to recording several other good results.

Le Prestige St Lois de Hus - here with Kevin Staut. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.At the Europeans Championship for Young Riders Kevin Staut’s former ride Le Prestige St Lois De Hus is competed by Anna-Julia Kontio. The Finish rider rode a clear round on the Quidam de Revel-gelding Wednesday, and ended fourth in the first individual qualifier. Earlier this year Le Prestige St Lois De Hus was send to Martin Fuchs’ stable to be sold, and now Kontio – Fuchs’ girlfriend – competes the horse.

Related stories:

Staut and Haras de Hus to go separate ways

Le Prestige St. Lois at Martin Fuchs' yard - but for sale

Le Prestige St Lois de Hus leaves Kevin Staut

Gerco (front) has been honored in his home town. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Double Olympic silver medalist Gerco Schröder was honored in his hometown Tubbergen last night. Schröder received a glass art piece in the shape of a horse for his great achievements in London, where he won both team and individual silver for Holland on Eurocommerce London.

Source: horses.nl

The wonderful Vigaro has been sold. Here seen with Gerco in Rome earlier this year. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The 10 year old stallion Vigaro – previously known under his Eurocommerce prefix – has been sold. The lovely Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve-son has up until now been competed by Gerco Schröder, but will according to horses.nl  in the future be ridden by Turkish SIEC-team rider Sevil Sabanci. The FEI database indeed comfirms that Vigaro has changed hands; he is now owned by Melisa Internationales Reitzentrum GmbH.

Source: horses.nl

Thomas Voss and Carinjo in Aachen. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.HDC has purchased Thomas Voss’ ride Carinjo (Cascavelle x Landgraf) for Patrice Delaveau to ride. The holsteiner stallion has performed great together with Voss and the combination recently came second in the famous Aachen Grand Prix. The two were also reserves on the German Olympic team and were a part of the German Nations Cup teams in La Baule and Falsterbo. Once again HDC strengthens the French team with a great horse.

Source: studforlife.com

Quickdiamond - here with Björn Nagel last year in Barcelona. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The chestnut gelding Quickdiamond  is now back with Angelica Augustsson. Alexander Onischenko bought the ten year old Quickdiamond (Quick Lauro Z x Catango) last summer, and Björn Nagel has been competing the horse. Together the couple won classes in Hannover, Kiel, Amsterdam and Doha.

"Onischenko, who bought the horse, has decided to sell some horses and that's why we have him back in the stable. He is for sale and it is a fantastic horse that I hopefully will be able to compete for a while," Angelica Augustsson explains to Tidningen Ridsport.

The Saudi Arabian team got honored by the king. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson. When the four Saudi Arabian Olympic team bronze medalists arrived in Jeddah after the Olympic Games in London, the HRH King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was there to honor them. He decorated the four Saudi Arabian riders - HRH Prince Abdullah Bin Miteb Al Saud, Ramzy Al Duhami, Kamal Bahamdan and Abdullah Sharbatly - with the King Abdulaziz distinction of the 1st degree.

Ol Athina Onassis Horse Show will take place at the 5 - 7 of October. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.The CSI5* show in Rio de Janeiro that originally was planned from the 24 to 26 of August has been moved to the 5 to 7 of October. The "Ol Athina Onassis Horse Show" is organized by Alvaro Alfonso de Miranda "Doda" and his wife Athina and it has a budget of approx 5.5 million Euro, which makes the show to one of the highest prized events worldwide. The show will not just involve showjumping but also music, fashion and gastronomic highlights.

Heidi has written us a blog entry - here with Nino in London. Photos private.We have been so lucky that the Olympic Champion Steve Guerdat’s groom Heidi Mulari has written us a blog entry about her fantastic experiences in London! Read about how she felt as Steve and Nino des Buissonnets won the gold medal, how the trip back home went and how Nino was received back home at the stables.

Click here to read Heidi’s blog entry and click on the read more button to see more private photos from Heidi.

London seen at the Olympic Games. Photo by © 2012 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com.Gerco Schröder’s Olympic ride London with whom he just won two Olympic silver medals, has according to several websites been seized right after the Olympic triumphs. This action has supposedly been made due to big financial problems for the former owners of the stallion, the company Eurocommerce. Apparently other Eurocommerce horses have also been seized together with London. Earlier this year several of the horses owned by Eurocommerce, including London, were sold to a company called Gevi International B.V. This company is owned by Ger Visser jr. who is the son of Ger Visser, the owner of  Eurocommerce. The bankruptcy trustee is apparently now investigating these transactions, and the seizure has been taken to make sure the horses are not sold before a final decision has been made from the authorities in Holland concerning the transfer between the companies.

Rolf is still number one in the world! Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson.Rolf-Göran Bengtsson was hugely disappointed yesterday when he had to withdraw from the final in London, but he might feel better today as he is still ranked as number one in the world! This is the 8th month in a row that the Swedish rider tops the world ranking. From rank two to ten there are changes; Nick Skelton has jumped from rank five to two, while Steve Guerdat is up from eight to three. Pius Schwizer is down one rank from three to four, while Christian Ahlmann has made a huge jump from rank 16 to rank five! Kevin is down from rank two to six, while Marcus Ehning stays at rank seven. Eric Lamaze is down from three to eight. Beezie Madden is another rider that has climbed; from 13 to nine pushing Edwina Tops-Alexander out – while Marco Kutscher has fallen from six to ten, a rank previously held by Ludger Beerbaum.

Vigo d'Arsouilles and Philippe Le Jeune at the WEG 2010 where they won gold. Photo by Jenny Abrahamsson. Studforlife.com reports that the Olympic Games have been the last competition for Vigo d’Arsouilles. The 14 year old stallion by Nabab de Reve x Fleuri du Manoir will now devote himself to breeding only. Unfortunately for the reigning World Champion, his last competition did not end with the glory he deserved as Vigo had to be withdrawn after the second individual qualifier due to an injury. To studforlife.com Vigo’s rider Philippe Le Jeune said that “I wanted to finish in style with a great Olympic result. Unfortunately, fate has decided otherwise.”

The WoSJ-team will miss seeing Vigo d’Arsouilles perform at the international arenas around the world! Together with Philippe this horse will surely be remembered as one of the greatest showjumpers through the times. Thank you Philippe and Vigo for all the magical moments you have given us!