Text © World of Showjumping

Romain Rotty, the breeder of the 14-year-old Zangersheide-mare Legacy (born Chavantele Z, Chippendale Z x Bon Ami), is the recipient of the 2024 Longines WBFSH Jumping Breeder Award.

The Longines WBFSH Breeder Awards celebrate the best breeders in dressage, jumping, and eventing, based on a 12-month cycle that ends on September 30th. This prestigious award recognizes the extraordinary dedication and talent of those who breed world-class equine athletes.

With Ireland's Daniel Coyle in the saddle, Legacy has left twelve outstanding months behind her – bringing home the award to her breeder. The pair won the CSI4*-W 1.55m Mad Barn Big Ben International Challenge at the Royal Horse Show in Toronto back in November last year, continued on to win the CSI5*-W 1.60m Grand Prix at London International Horse Show just before Christmas, won the CSI5*-W 1.60m Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ in both Leipzig and Amsterdam in January, jumped double clear to help Team Ireland to the win in the Longines League of Nations™ in Ocala in March and more recently were double clear in the Longines League of Nations™ Final in Barcelona – which earned Legacy the Best Horse-title of the LLN-season. The pair also represented Ireland at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris where they jumped impressive clears in three out of four rounds. 

Describing Legacy’s Olympic performance to WBFSH, Coyle remarked, “She’s in the prime of her life. Everything she’s done for me already is incredible, but she keeps surprising us with her brilliance.”

The winning jumping studbook of 2024 is Selle Français, for a second year in a row, with 7884 points. Their best ambassadors have been Dubai du Cedre (Baloubet du Rouet x Diamant de Semilly) – bred by Sylvain Pitois and Perrine Cateline, Caracole de La Roque (Zandor Z x Kannan) – bred by S.A.R.L. Top Stallion Company, Dynamix de Belheme (Snaike de Blondel x Cornet Obolensky) – bred by Frederic Aimez, Dallas Vegas Batilly (Cap Kennedy x L'Arc de Triomphe) – bred by Jean-Claude Viollet and Blood Diamond du Pont (Diamant de Semilly x Arpege Pierville) – bred by Matthieu Le Connetable.

Learn more about Legacy here, in our WoSJ Exclusive 'Legacy – “She brings that magic touch to everything she does"'.