Marcus Ehning and For Pleasure. Photo (c) Karl-Heinz Frieler.
Back in 2014, For Pleasure was featured in our series 'Does the apple fall far from the tree?' Fast forward four years later, and the stallion has a whole lot more famous offspring to offer. It's time to take another look at For Pleasure, and some of his most well-known daughters and sons in the sport today.
For Pleasure was born in 1986, and was by Furioso II x Grannus. In 2011 he passed away. For Pleasure had huge success in the sport under Marcus Ehning and Lars Nieberg, taking the team gold at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 as well as in Sydney in 2000, team gold at the European Championships at Hickstead and Donaueschingen in 1999 and 2003, individual bronze at the European Championships in Donaueschingen in 2003, as well as numerous international Grand Prix wins and Nations Cup victories for Germany.
Today, his legacy lives on through his many offspring that jump at the very top of the sport.
All photos (c) Jenny Abrahamsson.
Hello Forever is a 12-year-old Oldenburger gelding out of the Nimmerdor-mare Inella. With Scott Brash in the saddle, Hello Forever won the five-star LGCT Grand Prix in London in 2017 and in Cannes in 2016 as well as taking big wins in Chantilly, Helsinki, Mexico and Doha to mention some of the pair's highlights together.
Flora de Mariposa has had a hugely successful career with Penelope Leprevost in the saddle. The pair was a part of the gold medal winning French team at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016 as well as taking team silver at the World Championships in Caen in 2014. They had several Grand Prix and Nations Cup victories together: In Antwerp in 2016 they won the five-star LGCT Grand Prix, the World Cups in Lyon and Oslo in 2015, as well as the 2017 Nations Cup of La Baule and the 2016 Nations Cup of Rotterdam to mention a few highlights. Flora de Mariposa is now 13, and is out of the mare Adeline by Powerlight.
For Felicila is a 13-year-old mare by For Pleasure out of the mare Eleonor by Espri. She jumps successfully at the highest level of the sport with Pedro Veniss in the saddle, and has big wins from Spruce Meadows, Stuttgart and Vejer de la Frontera on her record.
Funky Fred is bred by the Ehning family themselves, and is out of the mare Panama - a previous Grand Prix horse for Marcus and Johannes. Funky Fred can be seen under Marcus, who also rode his father For Pleasure, and has notched up big victories in Barcelona, Rotterdam, Madrid and Paderborn over the last years.
Lucy Davis' Barron is now 14, and is out of the Nabab de Reve-mare Vita van't Riethof. With Davis in the saddle, Barron won the team bronze at the World Championships in Caen in 2014 as well as team silver at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016. The pair also won the five-star Grand Prix classes in Rotterdam and Brussels in 2015, the World Cup in Thermal in 2015 as well as the five-star LGCT Grand Prix in Lausanne in 2013.
One of For Pleasure's most famous offspring is Fit For Fun, ridden by Luciana Diniz. Fit For Fun is now 14, and is out of the mare Fetzi by Fabriano. Fit For Fun has won countless of big classes with Diniz, such as the five-star Grand Prix of Rotterdam in 2016, the five-star Grand Prix of Al Rayyan in 2016, the five-star Grand Prix of Doha in 2015, the five-star Grand Prix of Basel in 2015 and so the list goes on with impressive podium finishes all over the world.
VDL Groep Beauty is a 12-year-old mare out of Famita by Contender, that competed successfully at the highest level of the sport under Leopold van Asten. The two have several five-star podium finishes together from Mexico, Berlin, Brussels, Oslo and 's-Hertogenbosch to mention some.
For Joy van't Zorgvliet HDC is a 13-year-old mare out of Contesse van't Zorgvliet by Heartbreaker. For Joy van't Zorgvliet HDC has had huge success with Kevin Staut, winning classes all over the world such as in Paris, Hickstead and Gijon.
Keenan White has had a lot of success with For Freedom Z, a 13-year-old gelding out of the mare Ureedom VDL by Baloubet du Rouet. For Freedom Z has several top results at five-star level with White in the saddle, and also jumped at the World Cup Finals in Omaha in 2017.
Fernando is a 12-year-old For Pleasure-son that has jumped successfully at top level with Johnny Pals, with podium finishes in Eindhoven, Falsterbo, Liverpool and Roosendaal on the record. Fernando is out of the mare Cordina 25 by Corrado I.
Ornellaia is out of the mare Kleine Cera by Calato, and has jumped successfully with John Whitaker and Francois Mathy Jr at top level. With Whitaker in the saddle, the now 13-year-old mare took wins in Hagen, Monte Carlo, Paris and London during 2015 and was on the winning British Nations Cup team in Rome in 2016. The pair also jumped at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016.
Epleaser van't Heike does not only have a famous father, but a famous mother too. Out of Jos Lansink's former super-mare Valentina van't Heike by Nabab de Reve, Epleaser van't Heike first had big success with Lansink's rider Frank Schuttert before she was sold and Christian Ahlmann took over the reins. Epleaser van't Heike has won classes in Aachen both with Schuttert and Ahlmann, and with the latter he also has big wins from Villach and Neumünster.
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