Last weekend, we discussed the Hippomundo Historic Results database which collects all results of the most important and prestigious competitions and championships around the globe. A great example of the insights that can be found in this database is the 2013 Final of the 7-year-old World Championships in Lanaken, Belgium. A successful crop of seven-year-old horses finished at the top of the leaderboard in this event ten years ago and have gone on to have, what could be called legendary careers at the highest levels of our sport.
In September of 2013, a total of 40 seven-year-old horses soared through the first two qualifiers of the World Breeding Championships for seven-year-old horses and qualified for a place in the final. Looking back at the results of this class almost ten years later, we can't help but notice the talent and success of the horses that finished in the top ten. Of the top ten finishers, nine have gone on to compete at 1.60m level or higher with the tenth going up to 1.50m. What is even more noteworthy is that not only did the majority of these horses jump up to 1.60m, six of them have gone on to contest one or more major championships.
The 2013 seven-year-old World Champion Atlantic du Seigneur went on to have a great career under Gudrun Patteet with a career highlights in 2016 winning the 1.60m CSI4* Grand Prix of Ascona. Patteet then passed on the reins to the Wachman family who rode the chestnut in several youth Nations Cups.
Silver medal-winning Bacardi VDL, then under the saddle of Jos Lansink, went on to be a valued part of the Swiss team under Janika Sprunger and was called on the team for the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon.
The horse that finished just beside the podium in 2013 no longer needs any introduction in 2023. H&M All In may have narrowly missed out on a medal ten years ago, but has collected his fair share of silverware in his career since. The incredible partnership of Peder Fredricson and H&M All In is one that will go down in history as one of the most successful pairings to date. The pair represented Sweden at two Olympic Games, a World Championship and two European championships taking home one individual gold, two individual silver and an individual bronze medal as well as three team medals, one of each colour.
© FEI / Arnd Bronkhorst - Peder Fredricson & H&M All In
Just this past weekend one of the top ten finishers in the 2013 World Breeding Championship for seven-year-old horses waved goodbye to the sport during a ceremony at Wellington International. Gazelle finished fifth in Lanaken under the saddle of Eiken Sato, but the following year moved to the stables of Kent Farrington. This partnership has been one of the highest-earning pairs of the sport in recent years. Together they have won almost 3.5 million euros in prize money since 2015 and 13 (!) five-star Grand Prix wins on their record, as well as representing the USA at the 2015 Pan-American Games.
Another recently retired graduate of the 2013 seven-year-old World Championship Final is Clooney 51. The grey gelding jumped in Lanaken under Jana Wargers but soon after moved to the stables of a young Martin Fuchs. This combination grew up together and evolved to the highest levels with appearances at two Olympic Games, the 2018 World Equestrian Games and three consecutive European Championships: 2015, 2017 and 2019, meeting 'classmate' H&M All In at several stages along the way. In 2018, the pair won the individual silver at the WEG in Tryon and one year later stepped up one place and took home the gold in the European Championships in Rotterdam.
© FEI/Martin Dokoupil - Clooney 51 & Martin Fuchs
Three years after their seventh place in the seven-year-old World Championships, MHS Going Globa l and Irishman Greg Patrick Broderick met up with their 'classmates' Clooney 51 and H&M All In at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The beautiful bay stallion moved to the stables of Athina Onassis shortly after where they had a strong career on the GCT circuit.
Chaqui Z became another successful addition to the Irish showjumping team from this 2013 crop of seven-year-olds. Gerben Morsink rode his homebred to an eighth place finish in Lanaken, but the stallion moved hands shortly after when Shane Sweetnam took over the reins. The pair helped the Irish team win team gold at the 2017 European Championships in Göteborg and also represented their country at the 2018 World Equestrian Games.
Both Quolita Z and Gentiane de la Pomme have multiple top results at 1.60m level. Quolita Z was an important part of several podium finishes in Nations Cups under Harold Boisset, while Gentiane de la Pomme has been an integral part of Wilm Vermeir's string of horses with a 1.60m CSI4* Grand Prix win in Poznan in 2016.
Back in 2013 no one could have predicted these ten horses would go one to become such legendary horses in the sport, with three of them going on to compete at one or more Olympic Games and three more contesting other major championships throughout their impressive careers.
Check out the full results here.
