The current Hippomundo HR ranking presents a striking picture. Of the ten highest-ranked horses, no fewer than five are campaigned by a female rider. The Iron Dames team stands out in particular: three horses in the top 10 are owned by the Iron Dames and are all ridden by women.
Iron Dames with three horses in the top 10
The strongest representation comes from Iron Dames, which has no fewer than three horses in the top 10. In sixth place is Iron Dames Dialou Blue PS, campaigned by Katrin Eckermann. One spot lower is Iron Dames Singclair, ridden by Sophie Hinners, while Hinners is also the rider of Iron Dames Combella, which is in eighth place.
This means Iron Dames not only occupy three spots in the top 10, but all these horses are also linked to female riders. It underlines the important role the women play within the team.
Many women riders beyond Iron Dames as well
The female representation doesn’t stop with the three Iron Dames horses. In a shared fourth place is Toys, campaigned by Jörne Sprehe, who also represents the Cannes Stars of Iron Dames in the Global Champions League. Bull Run's Jireh, also fourth, is ridden by a woman: Kristen Vanderveen.
That makes five of the ten highest-ranked horses in the HR ranking owned by female riders. A striking fact in a ranking that maps horses’ performances at international level.
A broader look at the women riders
Those figures immediately raise the question of how strongly women riders are currently represented at the highest level. Hippomundo maintains a separate ranking for women riders, both nationally and internationally. Those rankings could be an interesting next step to see which women riders are currently delivering the strongest performances and how these female riders compare to the overall rankings.
The HR ranking already sends a clear signal: when you look at the absolute top, you cannot ignore the strong presence of female riders. With three Iron Dames horses and two other top performers in the hands of women, five of the ten top-10 spots are held by female riders.
