Text © World of Showjumping

At the age of 17, Lorenzo De Luca’s long-time partner Ensor de Litrange LXII (Nabab de Reve x Mr Blue) has been retired from the sport. 

De Luca and Ensor de Litrange LXII kicked off their partnership with a win in a CSI3* Grand Prix in Wellington in 2016, not long after the Italian rider had taken over the reins from Jos Lansink – who also had lots of success with the gelding. Later that same year, De Luca and Ensor de Litrange LXII won the CSIO5* Grand Prix in Dublin and jumped a double clear in the Nations Cup at the same venue – helping Italy to the victory. The year after, the two won the CSI5* LGCT Grand Prix in Shanghai, and were third in the CSIO5* Grand Prix on home soil in Rome, before they went on to win the CSI5* LGCT Grand Prix in Valkenswaard later that summer. They also have several podium finishes in some of the biggest Grand Prix and World Cups on the circuit to look back at. 

“Ensor has been the best horse of my career,” De Luca says to World of Showjumping. “He has been an unbelievable horse for me; not only because he won so much, but because he had everything I could have wished for. His personality is unbelievable, he is such a smart and special horse. Despite being such a big horse, he was always very sensitive – with a lot of blood and energy. In a jump-off, he would use his big body in such an elastic way – in his mind he was such a winner. Ensor gave me so much confidence going into some of the biggest Grand Prix classes in the world, I just knew nothing would ever be a problem for him.”

“Ensor was the first horse I won a five-star Grand Prix with, in Dublin in 2016, and he kept on winning from there. He has been a horse of a lifetime for me,” De Luca says. “I believe we did the right thing to retire him now, he has meant so much to me and I want him to live a healthy and long life. Ensor is now enjoying the grass in the field behind my house, and seeing him like this every day makes me really happy!”

At World of Showjumping, we wish Ensor de Litrange a wonderful retirement!