World Young Eventing Horse Championships 2013

Story – Christopher Hector & Photos – Roslyn Neave

As we drive from Caen to Le Lion de Angers, the windscreen wipers are in over-drive. Oh no, last year the event was flooded out and abandoned, surely lightning, or at least thunder clouds, can’t strike twice! It’s just a drizzle as we drive through the historic village. Alas our hotel is shut – for lunch – and when we get to the competition venue, just a couple of hundred metres away, the press room is also shut. For lunch. They take their lunches seriously in France.

But the press guys are back on deck with plenty of time to give us the sheets for the trot up, and good start lists with breeding details, as you might expect for a show that has at its heart the business of breeding horses for the sport of eventing.

The once mighty national studs that dominated horse breeding in France for so long are now fighting for their very existence, and one strategy has been to turn them into competition venues and for this they are perfectly suited. The Haras de Lion is so beautiful, not just the buildings but also the forest, and in the centre, a racecourse. It is a great spot for a three day event.

A superficial look at the entries in the Six-Year-Old class reveals that Thoroughbred influence is on the wane… just three of the 43 entries are by Thoroughbred stallions. This is breeding analysis by brand, a very dangerous exercise in today’s world of performance horse breeding, as we shall see when we look a little closer.

Jaguar Mail

There is only one stallion with more than one entry in the line-up, the Selle Français Jaguar Mail is the sire of two of the French entries: Takinou d’Hulm, and Tenareze, both classed as ‘Anglo-Arabe’. Let’s delve a bit.

Tenareze and Thomas Carlile

Tenareze’s dam, Utopie du Maury is Anglo-Arab back six and more generations, just a couple of Thoroughbred and straight Arab individuals scattered some way back. The splendid Horse Telex website gives Tenareze’s Thoroughbred and Arab blood proportion at 100%, but this is a rare instance of them not getting it right, since Jaguar Mail is only three quarters Thoroughbred, by Hand in Glove xx, out of a Laudanum xx mare, but then comes Adoret Z, who is by Almé out of a Hannoverian mare by Gotthard. This time, Horse Telex gets the percentage right 35.16% ‘blood’. Still the point is made, you can end up with a lot of Thoroughbred blood without a Thoroughbred sire.

You can also end up with a pretty fancy mover, Tenareze at the end of the first day of dressage is in the lead on 40.40, but the judges here are following the current trend of ‘safety first’, keeping the score range narrow.  Not surprisingly there are a bunch of horses all with very similar scores.

Let’s try another tack, let’s see how that genius Michael Jung goes about finding star-after-star. This year he has the most gorgeous brown mare, Ricona FST, registered with the Sachsen-Thüringen studbook. She is by the Thoroughbred stallion, Ituango. Her dam, Rose, is a right mix. She is by Carismo, a son of the Holsteiner, Calypso II, along with a few of those old but good Hanoverian names: Akzent II, Cavalier, Gotthard, and out of a mare by Scampolo (by Sandro out of a Gepard mare – two of the foundation sires of Paul Schockemöhle’s program) out of a mare of Saxon/Mecklenburg breeding. All that adds up to 63.87% blood.

Michael brought her two years older full-sister, Rocana FST to Lion de Angers to win the Six-Year-Old title, and this year he has had three wins in one star CICs with the now eight year old.

Ituango

The Thoroughbred sire, Ituango moved from Brandenburg to Marbach in Germany’s south in 2012. He is seriously bred as a racehorse. His sire Acatenango was three times German racehorse of the year. He won the German and retired with winnings of €4,000,000. Ituango’s dam sire Lagunas is a Derby winner too, and produced four licensed stallions that are used for breeding with Warmbloods. Ituango himself raced for two years, with earnings of 138,000 Deutsch Mark with two Derby qualifications.

The Germans have been looking for a successor to Heraldik xx, perhaps they have found him – of course we would like to see wonderful progeny out of a mare other than Rose, but since Ituango was born in 1996, it might be a good idea to take a chance now, before it is too late, especially when he stands for a mere €300.

I’m lucky enough to share a table at the coffee bar with Michael and his parents, Brigitt and Joachim.  Michael explains that he found the two sisters through friends:

“They look for young horses and they brought them to me. I rode them for a few weeks, and then we bought them.”

Has this stallion Ituango more good foals – not just two out of the same mare?

“He has just moved to our area, we had a lot of interesting foals this year. He is a good stallion.”

Good like Heraldik?

“I think with him you will need the quality from the mare. Heraldik was really good, with dressage movements and showjumping talent, and this Thoroughbred, Ituango, is just for racing, he doesn’t have the quality for the dressage or the showjumping.”

 Do you prefer horses with a lot of Thoroughbred blood?

“You need it for the big 4 Star competitions. Not for 3 Star or 2 Star, for that you need no Thoroughbred – but for the big competitions you need at least 50%.”

All the riders are looking for good horses, but you seem to have so many…

“We are also looking, always looking for good young horses, four, five, six years old. I think you can find good horses everywhere, in France, in England, in Australia. In Germany more people are getting interested in breeding for eventing. They are using more Thoroughbred stallions. After I was success in London, at the Marbach Stud, near us, the director, she has two Thoroughbred stallions and she is using them over her mares, and encouraging the breeders to use them. I like to get my horses when they are five.”

“I have just seven horses in my stable for eventing, this is not a lot, I am always looking, but you need luck. You need a good program, good owners…”

“And a good rider,” chimes in his mother.

Seven horses but three with the chance to go to the WEG at Normandy: 2012 Lumühlen winner, Leopin, 2013 European Champion, Halunke, and Sam.

“I hope it is Sam who I take to Caen, he is the favorite.”

It’s not scary when he crosses his legs over the jumps?

“No, that is just for good luck.”

The new star Ricona even crosses her legs!

At the end of the Six-Year-Old dressage, Tenareze is still in the lead on his 40.4, closely followed by New Zealander, Jonelle Richards riding the Dutch – and largely dressage – bred, Cloud Dancer on 41.3. The imposing gelding is by San Remo, by Wolkentanz, but out of a mare by the eventing star, Volturno. Cloud  Dancer’s dam is  by Sandro Hit, an unlikely candidate as an eventing sire.

Cloud Dancer and Jonelle Richards

William Fox-Pitt is holding down equal third place with a score of 41.5 on Top Biats, Selle Français branded but by the Holsteiner, Corofino, out of a mare by Orlando I, along with the Dutch rider, Larissa Hartkamp with Kain (Kanut / Wyona).

My favorite, Ricona FST is down to fifth on a score of 43.3 equal with a really lumpy heavy Belgian bay, Crackerjack (Casir Ask / Codexco) ridden by Henrik Degros, and the British pair of Ian Wills and Hartpury Sky is the Limit (British Sport Horse bred, but by the 50% TB Selle Français, Take it 2 the Limit out of a Dutch mare by the Voltaire son Concorde out of an Almé /Lucky Boy xx mare).

I must confess that after two days of watching the two dressage juries in action, I have no idea what they are looking for. Truly awful movements would score the same 6 or 7 as perfectly acceptable ones; every now and then one judge would get courageous and hand out an 8, but usually one of their colleagues would go down to 6,  evening out the scores like straight 7s anyway. The most embarrassing judging split was in the Seven-Year-Old Class, when the judge at E saw how lateral was the walk of Andreas Dibowski’s Hans Dampf (Heraldik xx / Looping) land gave the pirouette a 5 while the British judge at C handed out a 9!

Andreas Dibowski and Hans Dampf

The best score in the Seven-Year-Old class came from a horse that is really bred to excel in the twenty by sixty. Bart is by one of the hot young Dutch dressage sires, United who is by the Grand Prix dressage stallion, Krack C, out of a mare by another Grand Prix competitor, Partout, his dam is by Gribaldi, out of a mare by Michelangelo, again better known for his dressage progeny. Bart has a blood percentage of 37.11, perhaps he will struggle on the cross country as he moves up the grades. He was ridden in fine style by France’s Mathieu Lemoine for a 37.8.

Second to another Frenchman (who said they can’t ride dressage?) Thomas Carlile, who is also leads the Six-Year-Old class, and a clean, athletic bay Anglo Arab, Sirocco du Gers (Dorsay / Jalienny), again breaking the 40 barrier – 38.1. The stallion Dorsay is by the World Champion showjumper Quito de Baussy out of a Uriel mare. The breeding on the dam’s side is all French Anglo Arab and features the two stars of the breed, Pancho II and Nithard.

Third is William Fox-Pitt’s Henton for Fun who was bred in New Zealand, using the frozen semen of For Edition, a grandson of the great showjumper, For Pleasure. His dam is by Genius, a Hanoverian stallion imported to New Zealand in 1984, out of an unknown mare, so the Horsetelex score of 23.6 blood is a bit of a guestimate. Still as usual William produces a smooth and professional test for 41.1, to be equal with Aoife Clark and Fernhill Adventure (Irish but by the Hanoverian sire, Newmarket Venture out of a Clover Hill mare) – a big scopey, athletic sort. They are equal with the Belgian pair of Lara De Liedekerke and Alpaga d’Arville (Wunderboy van de Zuuthoeve – Argentinus/Nimmerdor/Lord – out of a Thoroughbred mare by Shamaaran).

Even with his wicked walk, Hans Damf is in 6th; 4^th with two judges, and 22^nd with the third.

Another super star at Lion, Andrew Nicholson, has had enormous success with the products of one of the world’s most obscure studbooks, that of the Asociación National de Criadores del Caballo de Deporte Espanol (CDE).

The horses tend to be a wild old mix of Thoroughbred, Holsteiner and Hannoverian, on the base of Spanish bred mares. This year, Andrew is riding Tilikum, bred by Ana Beca, in the Seven-Year-Old Championship. The gelding is by Averner, Oldenburg branded but Holsteiner bred (Acord II / Landadel) out of Nefertiti, who is by the Landgraf son, Lacros (sire of Nicholson’s 2013 Lexington winner, Quimbo) out of a mare by Florian xx – then it gets into uncharted territory, and Horse Telex ends up with a 40.04 followed by a question mark…  Tilikum is a bit wild in his test and ends up 41^st on 53.1.

In the Six-Year-Old, Andrew has another horse from Spain, but this time from a different breeder: Jet Set (by the Holsteiner, Nordico out of the CDE mare, Carina) bred by Spanish jumping rider, Luis Alverez Cevera. They do somewhat better, with 46 penalties for 12^th.

Andrew Nicholson and Jet Set

Since the CDE Stud Book commenced in 1993, the number of foals registered has gradually increased to the stage where it is on average 1000 births per year, although the economic situation has decreased this slightly over the past few years. Success has come with the eventers and the CDE ranked in the top ten for eventing on the WBFSH studbook list for 2012, thanks largely to Andrew Nicholson. I asked him how he lucked upon this book that seems to exist for the sole purpose of providing Andrew with wonderful horses…

“I met one of the Spanish riders, Ramon Beca, he’s the breeder of Nereo, Armada, all those ones, when he was eventing in England. I started keeping his horse for him because he is a serious businessman. The last horse he rode, the one he rode at the WEG and the Olympics, I used to keep it at my home and work it during the week, and he would fly over to compete on it. He told me he had a Thoroughbred stallion, Fines, and he was trying to breed showjumpers. The first one I had was Fenicio, he’d been tried as a showjumper, got to a metre thirty five, Ramon bought him back and sent him to me to train as an eventer for him to ride. That’s pretty much how it started, by the time Fenicio got to the top level, Ramon had retired, so I rode him – and immediately went over to Spain and started picking up all the brothers.”

“Then came Armada, who has done an awful lot of 4 Stars, Nereo, Oplitas, all full brothers, there was a filly as well, she never evented, she is more valuable as a brood mare. Then Ramon introduced me to his sister, Ana Beca, who is breeding more pure Warmbloods – that’s the breeding of Quimbo, and the one I have here, Tilikum. She is supplying me too now, I go and see all her youngsters. No-one seems to want to buy them, so I buy them when they are three-years-old and take it from there.”

Andrew Nicholson and Tilikum

They have been extraordinarily successful…

“The mares from Ramon and Anna Beca are all related but the fathers are very different. I’ve got a new supplier now, Luis Alverez Cevera, he bred Jet Set, the horse I rode in the six year old class. He is no relation to the Beca clan, but he was bred in Spain, Luis jumped the father, Nordica. The mother is an Argentinian Thoroughbred that went to Spain. Luis bred Jet Set for a showjumper, he jumped him last year as a five year old, and he said I should have it as an event horse, it is not a top showjumper. He has only been eventing this year, but he is good, very good.”

Is there a type or are they all different?

“Ramon’s horses are all similar in their type and their behavior, they are quite tough horses. Tough in their minds and tough in their bodies. Ana Beca’s horses are very soft and gentle, but good performers. She is using very good stallions, proven stallions. Ramon’s Fines was a hardened racehorse, he raced a lot. He has a new stallion now, a French horse, he raced in Spain but he raced a lot, they are hardy sorts. Ana uses a lot of frozen semen, I’ve got one at home by Clinton. She uses good bloodlines.”

You are not worried about getting too much Warmblood…

“Quimbo has won a four star already, Nereo is probably one of the most consistent horses in the world. For sure they are not like Thoroughbreds, you’ve got to gallop them a lot more, you’ve got to gallop them a lot harder than a Thoroughbred. I think that’s where a lot of riders get a little disheartened, they try to do the same preparation that you would with a Thoroughbred and they haven’t got the engine for that. That’s why I like to buy them when they are young, so I can start galloping them when they are relatively young, stretching their lungs, getting them hard.”

Do you have to teach them to gallop?

“It’s not so much teaching them, it’s more just changing the engine from a Mini-Minor into something a bit bigger. You can’t get them to a Ferrari but it’s like a mechanic tinkering with the engine and squeezing a bit more juice out of it. But you can’t just rock up and think you can whiz around a four-star on them if they have missed some serious work. They don’t work like that.”

The dressage is good?

“The dressage is very easy, very good. They’ve got serious minds on them, they are bred to be competition horses, whereas a Thoroughbred is bred to be a racehorse. The modern Warmbloods have a lot of blood in them, they are a little more sensitive in some ways, a bit hotter than a lot of Thoroughbreds but if you can channel it right, they are willing to work for you in the right way in the dressage arena and the showjumping, cross country is the same. They are definitely not like a full Thoroughbred but they do the job.”

When everyone is hunting everywhere to find horses…

“I’ve got a never-ending supply. The one I’m riding, Jet Set, I tried to get half a dozen riders to buy it last year. I’d liked him as a three year old but then he was going to be a showjumper and too expensive, then when Luis told me he wasn’t going to be a showjumper, and this is jumping a metre thirty as a five year old, not Mickey Mouse stuff, I tried to get riders to look at him, and they wouldn’t. I’ve got lots at home, they are all related, a lot of the riders probably think they are in-bred, but I’ve got brothers to most of them, Jet Set’s full-brother is there.”

Do you think that is where riders have to go now, to get involved in the production side of their horses?

“For sure. A lot of the riders are too fussy, when they look at a young horse they want it to look like their four star horse, they don’t have the idea of looking at raw talent. You only get that with experience, I’ve made a lot of mistakes but now I am getting good ones and most of them as three year olds. Often unbroken but they loose jump them, you see them move and I know their pedigrees.”

One of the more extraordinary stories in eventing is the career of the Belgian mare, Britt, who was ridden internationally by Karin Donckers: at the European Junior championships in 1988, the Young Riders championships in 1990, the Olympic Games in 1992, the Europeans in 1993 and the World Equestrian Games in 1994.

Lady Brown and Karin Donckers

Since then Karin bred a bewildering series of successful eventers from Britt, whose own pedigree is not exactly star studded. She is by the three quarters Thoroughbred, Iseng, out of a Belgian mare, Oekie by Flevo – yet she is more or less on her way to founding her own studbook. Indeed one of the three homebred horses Karin has at Lion this year, is Lady Brown in the seven year old championship. She is by Lord Britten Z, who is by Risueno La Silla xx out of Britt, and out of Milly, who is a grand-daughter of Britt!

Karin can’t actually remember when she first saw this great mare:

“I was just a child. It was my father who bought the horse when she was a foal, I think I was still riding my pony.”

What a career, from Junior Championships through to the Olympic Games…

“That’s true and then you realize after such a good horse, how difficult it is to do the same with the other horses because Britt was a mare who really took me everywhere and did everything for me, I just had to stay on her. She taught me what eventing was…”

After that you set up a very interesting breeding program and now you are on the third generation…

“Even the fourth generation now – and I have two seven year olds now who are foals from Britt, and I have one six year old from Gazelle de la Brasserie (Karacondo / Arlequin x) my other good mare who did two times the Olympics. It is very nice to have three of my own breeding here at the World Championships of Young Horses. Two of them from Britt, and one, an embryo transplant from Gazelle.”

Britt bred for many years…

“When she was 21 she went to Mexico, and she was there for a time with Alfonso Romo, who did some embryo transplants but they didn’t work. We still have a mare and a stallion from that time, that we breed with. She had foals when she was 21, 22, 23, 24, that’s very special. She died when she was 28.”

What has been your philosophy when you look for stallions for your breeding program?

“You have to look at the mare, her breeding, what the strengths are, what the weaknesses are, and try to find a stallion that can cover that. We started with the Warmblood mares, so for a few years we put some blood in, and after three or four generations, you get the good balance, the right amount of Warmblood and the right amount of Thoroughbred. I don’t feel that the first generation gives you immediately what you want, it’s more the third, fourth generation when you start feeling you have a bit of everything. It takes a while before you can breed eventing horses.”

When you ride the young ones, can you feel they are like Britt?

“The character of willing to fight when they are at a show, that’s something I definitely feel coming back every time. The will to really give the best of themselves, that is the positive thing that Britt had too.”

Hamilton and Karin Donckers

At the end of the cross country in the six year old Championship, Karin is sitting in 10^th on Hamilton, who is out of Gazelle de la Brasserie, and by the Belgian stallion, Bonnie Prince Charlie, who is by the Grand Veneur son, Sheyenne de Bauggy out of Jenna, who is out of, you guessed it, Britt. They are sitting on 48.9 – picking up just 2.4 time on the cross country. In the 7 year old championship, Grandioz (by Shindler de Muze – by the great Hanoverian jumper, For Pleasure, out of a grand-daughter of Landgraf – out of Nikita, by the Lucky Boy son, A Lucky One out of Hibritt by Melchior x, out of Britt.) They added just .4 time to be on 47.1. Lady Brown is in 12^th adding 3.6 time for a 49.2 total going into the showjumping.

 

Through the woods, and down the hill over the skinny – Karin Donckers and Grandioz

There is only one stallion with more than one entry in the seven year olds – Harlequin du Carel with two (last year he had four nominations in the washed out champs). Harlequin du Carel is essence of Selle Français, by the great jumping stallion, Rosire, out of a mare by Starter (a son of Rantzau xx).

Rosire was one of the best and last stallions by Uriel. He was successful at 1m 45 with Eric Navet as the third horse in his stable and then with enjoyed success with Raynald Angot  of the Junior French Team.

He bred many good national 1m40 GP winners and also a few 1m60 GP winners but is regarded by the experts as a good stallion but not an exceptional one. His best offspring were out of mares with lots of blood.

Harlequin du Carel – whose blood percentage is 52.73 – is the sire of half a dozen international showjumpers, the most successful of which is Dorada, who was second in the Derby at Hickstead this year with William Funnel, plus a couple of useful eventers.

Several of the sires that have dominated in these classes are quietly fading from the scene. Perennial World Number one, Heraldix xx, has just one entry, as does the great Irish Thoroughbred, Master Imp. Two of the stars of earlier championships, Jumbo and Yarlands Summer Song contribute one each.

Bart L and Mathieu Lemoine

The dressage star, Bart L, proves that he can handle a quite tough cross country track and he is still on his dressage score of 37.8 after the second phase to keep the lead in the Seven Year olds. The second placed horse after the dressage, Sirocco du Gers, also goes clear clear, and is just .3 behind Bart.

Aoife Clark and Fernhill Adventure

Ireland’s Fernhill Adventure, moves from 4^th to 3^rd with a clear run, while William Fox-Pitt’s Henton for Fun, apparently decided cross country was not fun, coming home with 21 time and 40 jumping penalties. Andreas Dibowski had an even worse day, Hans Dampf slipped over as they turned the corner coming down the hill, and the German rider finished the course on foot.

 

Lara de Liekekerke and Alpaga d’Arville

The Belgian rider, Lara de Liekekerke stars, with two clears. She is now in 4^th on Alpaga d’Arville (Wunder Boy van de Zuuthoeve / Shamaraan xx) and 5^th on Averouge des Quatre Chenes (Vert et Rouge / Figaro de Belle).

Tenareze and Thomas Carlile

In the six year old class, the first two places are unchanged. Tenareze is clear no time, as is Cloud Dancer. Ricona FST and Hartpury Sky is the Limit, are now tied on 43.3, also clear, while Willliam Fox-Pitt, who is not having a good day at the office, has dropped from 3^rd to 21^st on Top Biats with a stop and 9.2 time. Ricona looks fine on the cross country but does not present at the trot up next morning!

Kitty King and Ceylor LAN

Cool young British rider, Kitty King, who won the seven year old class two years ago, on Zidante (Polydox / Voltaire), is starring on another Dutch bred horse, Ceylor LAN (Veron / Ahorn), still on their dressage score of 44.6, just in front of Andrew Nicholson and Jet Set, also on their dressage score, 46 in sixth place.

Ricona and Michael Jung

There is another huge crowd for the showjumping, as like they were on cross country day, they are really informed and involved, oohing and aahing with every rail to fall, cheering for the clears, and the biggest cheer comes when Thomas Carlile pilots Tenareze carefully around the demanding track for a lovely clear.

A go-to-whoa victory for the French pair.

Andrew Nicholson has a clear on Jet Set, but it takes all this great rider’s powers of concentration and years of experience to get there. They go into second place.

Pawel Spisak and Banderas

The Polish combination of Pawel Spisak and Banderas (a Polish Warmblood, but by a Westfalien sire, Moravia) looked good in the dressage, great cross country, and they too go clear with the chestnut giving every rail heaps of air. Third on 46.2, their dressage score.

Kitty King and Ceylor LAN are also clear, but pick up 2 time to settle for 4th, in front of the Kiwi, Jonelle Richards and Cloud Dancer, they had two rails to drop to fifth.

The crowd roars its approval at the Six Year old Champions – Thomas Carlile and Tenareze – gallop around the ring. The rider is bursting with excitement, the bay six year old looks as cool as, what a horse. What a way to win a Championship.

When you are hot you are seriously hot, and Thomas is waving his hat crazily again after a clear round in the Seven Year old class on Sirocco du Gers – and the pressure is well and truly on his countryman, Mathieu Lemoine on the Dutch bred, Bart L. Are we going to see another championship to a horse that lead from the dressage – or if Bart decks a rail, we are going to see a double championship to Thomas?

Two rails down, and Mr Carlile has staked his own little place in the history of this great event. The only  rider to win both the 6 and 7 year old championship in the same year.

So Thomas and Sirocco finish on their dressage score of 38.10. Second to the Irish duo, Aoife Clarke and Fernhill Adventure (45.1), third Mathieu Lemoine and Bart L (45.8) and Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke takes fourth with Alpaga d’Arville (47.3) and fifth with Averouge des Quatre Chenes (50.1). The championship has end for another year, time for the stage to be taken by…

The next generation of eventers… 

The Young Eventing Championships – an historical overview

The decision to run World Young Eventing Horse Championships was taken not all that long ago, but start searching for the results and then the problems begin. The organizers at Lion d’Angers try to help with an archive section but sadly some of the records have been lost, for 1987 for instance, Les archives sur cette année sont pratiquement inexistantes ou introuvables. The other records are pretty light on for information, it is not until 2006, that the results come beautifully set out with sire, dam and dam sire – it’s the same for 2007, then the organizers revert to the earlier, no breeding format for 2008 –  2009, then in 2010 they work out how to do it right again. Thanks guys!

I really couldn’t find out when the championships actually started but luckily the French equestrian journalist, Catherine Vollaire took pity on my plight and went back through her articles and cleared the air.

The three day event at Lion d’Angers, started in 1986, and in 1987, the organisers introduced a special ranking for young horses from 6 to 8 years old – le Criterium mondial des jeunes chevaux, running an event within an event, in the CCI class.

In 1990, Brittany Ferries picked up the naming rights and it was the Trophée mondial des jeunes chevaux Brittany Ferries, and the next year, the entire event became known as the Mondial du Lion, still with young and old horses competing in the same class with two sets of placings.

In 1997, the entries were limited to horses aged 6 to 8 years old competing in the first World Championships for Young Eventing Horse Championships. The next year, the age group was reduced to 6 and 7, but still competing over the same course. It was not until 2000 that the ages were split into six and seven year old championships. The 6 year olds run over a CCI* track with the 7 year olds tackling a CIC**.

It’s a pity that the young horses were not being honored the first year Lion d’Angers was held, since the 4^th place getter in 1986, was only 6 years old and went on to be a European champion with Ginny Leng – Master Craftsman. The gelding was by the Thoroughbred, Master Spiritus – a regular source of stars in the young horse division.

Ginny Leng and Master Craftsman – Photo Peter Llewellyn

The records have been lost for the years, 87, 88 and 89, but the event archives for 1990, list the placegetters, with the young horses tagged with a ‘$’. Thus we learn in 1991 that the best placed young horse was the 8 year old stallion, Jumbo (Skippy / Seven Bells xx) ridden by Andrew Nicholson into sixth. The horse went on to compete advanced, and has been a very good sire of eventers.

The next year, the class is actually won by one of the young horses, Tobi de Marillet (by the Thoroughbred Djarvis out of a Selle Français / Anglo Arab mare) ridden by Jean Teulère. The gelding went on to an honest eventing career, and eight years later, was still earning his oats, placing 14th in the French Junior championship with Mathieu Lemoine.

But there were some young horses that year that would go on to be superstars in ‘the big sport’: Welton Romance (Welton Louis / Wilton House xx) was fourth with Ginny Leng and went on to win a European Championship with Lucy Thompson in 1995, while the 8^th placegetters, Jean-Lou Bigot and Twist La Beige (solidly bred Anglo Arab, by Djahill aa) took individual gold at the Euro Champs of 1993 and went on to place 12^th at the Sydney Games. The young horse in 12^th place was to become another of the modern greats, Yarlands Summer Song and Marie-Christine Duroy. Summer Song was one of the early attempts at breeding for eventing – he was by the Trakehner, and advanced eventer, Fleetwater Opposition, out of a mare by Welton Gameful, a product of the late Sam Barr’s event horse breeding program. An Olympic and WEG competitor, Summer Song is now proving an exceptional sire of eventers. To round out the class of 92, Andrew Nicholson’s Jagermeister (born in New Zealand, by the Trakhener Polarschnee ) went on to carry him to team bronze at Atlanta.

Marie-Christine Duroy and Summer Song – Photo Peter Llewellyn

I guess by now you are getting the impression that a good number of the young horses at Lion d’Angers went on to distinguished open age careers. In 1993, we find another Marie-Christine Duroy ride, Ut du Placineau B (by Funny Hobby xx) who she rode in the individual event at the Atlanta Games and Rodolphe Scherrer’s Urane des Pins (by Easter Grey xx) who he rode in the teams event at Atlanta. Interestingly, both these Selle Français branded horses are by Thoroughbred sires.

The class of 94 produced some more stars, winner of the young horse title, King Solomon III (by Old Lucky xx), 2^nd in the young horses, Hinnegar (Enchantment xx), 4^th, Get Sharpe (Henricus xx) and down in 15^th place, best of the crop, Kentucky winner, Welton Envoy – certainly purpose bred for eventing, by Welton Gameful (3/4 Thoroughbred, ¼ Irish) out of a mare by Ben Fairie – a Thoroughbred sire of eventers including World Champion, Priceless and European Champion, Nightcap.

In 1997, the young horse winner, Dope Doux (Selle Français, by the half bred, Fort Grandchamp out of an Anglo Arab mare) with Marie-Christine Duroy, was also the open class winner. Dope Doux was still competing in 2003 with the Spanish rider, Enrique Sarasola. Leslie Law’s international star, Sheer H20 (Stan the Man xx / Carnival Knight xx), finished 8^th on the young horse standings, while Linda Algottson’s wonderful Stand by Me was 18^th – Stand by Me is by the Swedish Warmblood stallion, Stanford, out of Princess Fair xx, who is the dam of La Fair, ridden by Linda at the 2012 Games, and La Fair is the dam of Wega, who so nearly carried Linda’s sister Sara to a gold medal at Greenwich!

In 1998 the event (and the young horse class) was won by another superstar, Ingrid Klimke’s grey Thoroughbred, Sleep Late (by Kuwait Beach xx), with Owen Moore and Lord Killinghurst (by Sulaafah out of a Hanoverian / Thoroughbred mare) in 3^rd – the number 3 was to haunt the horse – ridden by Andrew Nicholson, he was 3^rd at Burghley, three years in a row. The pair represented New Zealand at the 2006 WEG and 2008 Games. The 5^th placegetter, Didier Courreges’ Debat d’Estruval (Anglo Arab but by a Thoroughbred, Vorias out of a mare by another Thoroughbred, Ardale) went on to the Athens Games.

In 2000 the young horse championships are for the first time separated into a 6 year old and a 7 year old title.

The six year old winner was Nicolas Touzaint’s Galan de Sauvagère by the Selle Français grandson of Ibrahim, Joly Jumper out of a Thoroughbred mare. The grey went on to compete at both the 2004 and 2008 Games, as well as winning the Euro Champs, and the Eventing World Cup final.

The 7 year old winner, Pippa Funnel’s Prinmore’s Pride went on to a stellar career, winning both Kentucky and Burghley in 2003 (and helping Pippa take the Grand Slam), carried her to individual bronze at the Athens Games, and in 2005 became the first horse to win three Four Star events, when he took out Badminton. He again demonstrates the wisdom of breeding purpose bred eventers, since he is by Mark Todd’s eventing Thoroughbred, Mayhill (aka Fair Oak), out of Prinmore Hill, herself an Advanced eventer, and by that great sire of eventers, Ben Fairie xx.

The 3^rd placegetter, Didier Courreges’ Free Style (Hand in Glove xx / Starter) went on the to WEG in Jerez.

The 2001, Six Year old champion, Histoire de Triballe (Vallon du Quesnay / Paladin des Ifs) brought French rider, Karim Laghouag into international ranks, while the 3^rd placegetter, Hildago de l’le (Uri du Longbost / Trio xx) took Nicolas Touzaint to the 2006 WEG and the London Games, where they were 12^th. The Australian pair of Clayton Fredericks and Ben Along Time  (Cavalier Royale / Campaigner xx) was 4^th – they went on to be members of the silver medal winning team at Hong Kong, and the gelding carried Clayton to second place at the WEG 2006.

Galan de Sauvagères (Joly Jumper / Julius Caesar xx) and Nicolas Touzaint were back the next year to take the 7 year old title. In second place we find German star, Andreas Dibowski on the Hanoverian, Serve Well (Sherlock Holmes / Warkant) his ride at the 2006 WEG and second at Badminton the following year. The third placegetter, Private Collin went on to place 6^th at Badminton with his rider, Sam Griffiths.

The 2002 Six Year old winners, Didier Dhennin and Ismène du Temple  (Cabdulla du Tillard / Quat’sous) went on to represent France at the Beijing Olympics where they were sixth individually.

In the 7 year old championship, Nicolas Touzaint once again found Lion d’Angers a happy hunting ground, winning with Hildago de l’Ile (Uri du Longbost / Trio xx)moving up from 3^rd the previous year to 1^st. The horse went on to take Nicolas to the first ever French victory at Badminton, and also won at Pau**** and was 4^th at Kentucky ****.

Right down the list in 27^th spot we find Frank Ostholt and Air Jordan (Amerigo Vespucci / Wittensee). The horse was Frank’s ride at Athens, and together they won team gold at the Aachen WEG.

In 2004, a new name appears on the winner’s board but one that is to have a lasting impact – Michaël Jung. Riding the Trakehner stallion, Grafenstolz (Polarion / Camelot) Jung did what he has done so many times in his career – led from start to finish in the six year old class. Grafenstolz was a sensation in Germany when he qualified for the Bundeschampionate in showjumping, eventing and dressage, winning the eventing on a score of 9.7. After his success at Lion d’Angers he went on to place at three star level eventing, to showjump, and compete in dressage at Prix St Georges level. He has also become a successful sire.

Nicolas Touzaint followed up his 6 year old win on Joker d’Helby with a win in the 7 year old class, the following year, but unlike most of Touzaint’s young horses, this one did not go on to be a star. The second horse did – Tina Cook’s Miner’s Frolic (Miners Lamp xx / Oats xx) 3^rd at Beijing, 6^th at London, and still competitive at the Europeans at Herning at the age of fifteen. The third horse is also pretty handy, Frank Ostholt’s Little Paint (Nitron / I’m A Star xx) was 2^nd at Lumühlen**** in 2008 and 3^rd in 2011.

In 2006, Michael Jung was equal first after the dressage on a newcomer, La Biosthetique-Sam (Stan the Man xx / Heraldik xx) but dropped to 2^nd with a rail in the showjumping, to finish behind the Swedish combination of Niklas Lindbäck and Mister Pooh (by the Dutch bred Majim G out of a Thoroughbred grand-daughter of Tudor Minstrel). Niklas and Mister Pooh were 5^th at Badminton in 2011, and represented Sweden at the 2010 WEG, the London Games, and the 2013 Europeans.

The 7 year old winner, Aurélien Khan’s Lord de Ligniere (Hand in Glove / Jasmin) had a moderate later career, his best result 7^th at Saumur*** in 2011.

The 4^th placegetter, Sam Griffiths’ Happy Times (Heraldik xx / Maraschino) went on to represent Australia at both the Kentucky WEG and the London Games, but failed to finish on both occasions. They were however 3^rd at Badminton in 2009 and 4^th in 2011.

Mr Medicott (Cruising / Edmund Burke xx) in 5^th went on to compete successfully with Frank Ostholt, representing Germany at the Beijing Games, before he was sold and ridden for the USA at the London Games by Karen O’Connor. The ride has now been taken by Phillip Dutton.

The horse is 23^rd place is interesting, Armada, with Andrew Nicholson. Armada and Andrew were 8^th at Burghley**** before he handed the ride to Oliver Townend in 2012 – with the new rider, Armada was 4^th at Burghley in 2012 and 2^nd at the British Open Championships in 2013. Armada is the full-brother to Nicholson’s ride at the London Games, Nereo. Both are by the Spanish Thoroughbred, Fines out of Berganza who is by the Hanoverian Golfi, a great grandson of Gotthard, with Grande on the mare line. The horses were bred by retired Spanish eventer, Ramon Beca, who has once again demonstrated that if you really want to breed eventers, it is not so difficult.

In 2007, Frank Ostholt takes the Six year old title, on Quite Easy (by the Selle Français stallion, Quattro B out of a mare by Akitos xx). The mare came back the next year to place 15^th in the Seven year old championship, and then disappears.

The Seven year old championship is won by Piggy French and the Irish bred, Cast Away II (Clover Brigade / Cruising) who duly disappears, although the same cannot be said of the 2^nd placegetter, Michael Jung’s London gold medallist, La Biosthetique-Sam. Andrew Nicholson’s 4^th placegetter, Avesbury (by Jumbo – remember him, 6^th in 91 – out of a mare by the Thoroughbred Bairn) went on to place 8^th at Burghley and 10^th at Badminton in 2011. In 2013, the pair were 2^nd at Burghley. The fifth placegetter, Mary King’s Kings Temptress (Primitive Rising xx / Louella Inschallah) was another megastar – first at Kentucky, third at Burghley in 2011.

2008 brings a new name to the winner’s circle, William Fox-Pitt who takes the six year old title on the stallion, Oslo who went on to win Pau four star in 2011. Oslo is by the Lando, silver medalist in the showjumping at Sydney out of a French mare by Hadj aa, out of a Jalisco mare. Second to another famous Brit, Pippa Funnell on Billy Landretti (by the Dutch stallion, Vechta, a son of Voltaire, out of an Irish mare by Andretti xx) whose best result has been a win at Barbury Castle *** in 2011. Third to Kai Ruder and Charlie Weld (Hanoverian, by the Trakehner Connery, out of a mare by Spartan)  – the horse was to come back the next year and win the 7 year old championship, but since then his best win has been Bramham*** in 2011.

There are no superstars in the top 8 in the 7 year old championship, but the 9^th placegetter, Wega was to earn her, and Sara Algotsson-Ostholt’s place in history at the London Games. Wega is by Irco Mena, a nice balance of Dutch and Irish breeding, out of La Fair by the Swedish stallion, Labrador.

The winners of the 6 year old title in 2009 are Mathieu Lemoine and Petrus de la Triballe (Selle Français by Sarastro aa, out of a great-grand-daughter of Galoubet) – first at Breda CIC*** in 2012. Second to Andreas Dibowski and a stallion that is causing a lot of excitement, Mighty Magic, and so he should – he is by Mytens, a Thoroughbred jumping sire that stood at Jan Greve’s famed Watermill Stud out of Neika by Heraldik, out of the Holsteiner mare, Fiona, who carried two crosses of Ladykiller xx.  The stallion was to come back the next year and take the 7 year old title. Since then he has competed three star, but taken back to two star, his best result in 2012 has been a 13^th at Kreuth CIC**, which would not stop me sending a mare to him… Third to Frank Ostholt and Sir Medicott (by the Contender son, Campbell out of a Thoroughbred mare), whose best result in 2012 was a 4^th at Langenhagen CIC**. Down in 9^th place we find another of the Dibowski team, and another of the superstars from the breeding program of Fritz Butts, FRH Butts Avedon (Heraldik xx / Kronenkranich xx)  who was 3^rd at Lumühlen CCI**** in 2012, and 9^th in 2013.

Charlie Weld and Oslo were back in 2009 to take first and second in the 7 year olds, with an exciting new combination in 3^rd – Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Louvo – stars in the gold medal winning German team in London. The Selle Français, Opgun Louvo, is by Shogun II, a son of the great Thoroughbred, Night and Day, out of a mare by international showjumping star, J’T’Adore – a grandson of Furioso xx.

Sara Algotsson-Ostholt and Mrs Medicott (Hanoverian branded, but by the Holsteiner, Rabino out of a mare by Prince Thatch xx) take the 2010 Six Year old title while Andreas makes it one / two in the Seven Year old class. First on Mighty Magic and second on FRF Butts Avedon. Borough Pennyz (Cevin Z / Dutch Gold) who took Vittoria Panizzon so stylishly round the London cross country course, is eighth.

It is too early to expect the 2011 6 year olds to have done anything spectacular. The winner was once again, Micheal Jung, this time riding Rocana FST, by the Thoroughbred, Ituango out of a mare by the Hanoverian, Carismo who is in turn by the Holsteiner, Calypso II – I guess that is one thing that surprises me about this little survey. We have become used to eventers by Holsteiner stallions out of Thoroughbred, or largely Thoroughbred, mares, starring in the sport, but they have not been so noticeable at the Young Horse Championships… perhaps they mature a little more slowly. Rocana is successfully competing in one star classes in 2013.

The 2011 7 year old champions were the British rider, Kitty King and the Dutch bred, Zidante (Polydox / Voltaire), the pair had been 3^rd the previous year.

It has to be said that these World Young Horse Championships have produced an extraordinary number of horses that go on to be genuine international stars. I have seen young horse classes where the event is an amalgam of dressage and showjumping, and the classes are usually won by fat Warmbloods who never get anywhere in open competition. Lion d’Angers is different, at the heart of their championships are real live cross country courses, courses that favor real eventers.