🇫🇷 Hello all, and welcome to Paris 🇫🇷
The City of Lights has beckoned, and the best of the best from every corner of the globe have come to put it all on the line. It’s been a tumultuous season thus far, filled with tactical entries, heartbreaking withdrawals, cutthroat qualifications, and a rather bloodthirsty IOC, all leading up to giving the world the best damn horse show possible — and what a grand one it will be.
We’ve been all Paris, 24/7, for so long that it’s a bit surreal to finally be here! After tossing out team announcements seemingly on the daily, we finally have all our riders in one place long enough to bring you the long-awaited 2024 Paris Olympic Games Form Guide. As much as we joked behind the scenes that we wish this could be the final call for all nations in attendance, we never know when we might see some last-minute substitutions, so be sure to keep refreshing EN’s Olympic Hub, because with Sally on the ground, Tilly behind the camera, and more than half a dozen Paris-hungry reporters behind their screens at home, we will be tirelessly hitting the headlines to help you feel like you’re right there at Versailles with the rest of the greats.
Our special Olympics trading cards on each horse and rider combination feature some statistics courtesy of our good friends at EquiRatings; share them with your friends (or your family, your enemies, your rivals, you get the idea). Each combination has an Elo Rating, essentially ranking how many horses they have finished ahead of or behind at competition (and is affected by those horses’ Elo ratings as well), and a 6 Run Average (6RA) of their last six international dressage scores at any level. These are some of the most meticulously-calculated prediction models in the game, and should give a bit of insight into the strengths and comparisons between riders (and teams) to send you into this weekend just a little more informed. Keep an eye out for their Prediction Centre that just went live, which combines all the stats and probabilities to give you the mathematically-predicted champions!
You’ll want to keep a tab open to this Form Guide as you watch the screens this week, but make sure to keep another open to Tilly’s incredibly thorough and effortlessly passionate Olympic Team Form Guide, where you’ll get the insider breakdowns and background on which teams are on the up-and-up and who to keep an eye on! You can also learn more about everything happening in this weekend’s competition from schedules to streaming to social media in our Paris Olympics Ultimate Guide.
Allons-y (Eventing)!
Want to jump straight to your favorite horse and rider? Click the links below to jump to their section (the combinations are listed in alphabetical order by country code and last name):
Christopher Burton and Shadow Man (AUS)
Kevin McNab and Don Quidam (AUS)
Shane Rose and Virgil (AUS)
TR: Shenae Lowings and Bold Venture (AUS)
Harald Ambros and Vitorio du Montet (AUT)
Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line (AUT)
Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Origi (BEL)
Karin Donckers and Leipheimer Van’t Verahof (BEL)
Tine Magnus and Dia van het Lichterveld Z (BEL)
TR: Maarten Boon and Gravin Van Cantos (BEL)
Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Casanova (BRA)
Rafael Mamprin Losano and Withington (BRA)
Carlos Parro and Safira (BRA)
TR: Ruy Fonseca and Ballypatrick SRS (BRA)
Jessica Phoenix and Freedom GS (CAN)
Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo (CAN)
Michael Winter and El Mundo (CAN)
TR: Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye (CAN)
Alex Hua Tian and Jilsonne van Bareelhof (CHN)
Huadong Sun and Lady Chin V’t Moerven Z (CHN)
Miloslav Příhoda and Ferreolus Lat (CZE)
Miroslav Trunda and Shutterflyke (CZE)
Peter Flarup and Fascination (DEN)
Nicolas Wettstein and Altier d’Aurois (ECU)
Ronald Zabala Goetschel and Forever Young Wundermaske (ECU)
Esteban Benitez Valle and Utrera AA 35 1 (ESP)
Carlos Diaz Fernandez and Taraje CP 21.10 (ESP)
Veera Manninen and Sir Greg (FIN)
Sanna Siltakorpi and Bofey Click (FIN)
Karim Laghouag and Triton Fontaine (FRA)
Stéphane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau (FRA)
Nicolas Touzaint and Diabolo Menthe (FRA)
TR: Gireg le Coz and Aisprit de la Loge (FRA)
Rosalind Canter and Lordships Graffalo (GBR)
Laura Collett and London 52 (GBR)
Tom McEwen and JL Dublin (GBR)
TR: Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir (GBR)
Michael Jung and Chipmunk FRH (GER)
Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S (GER)
Julia Krajewski and Nickel 21 (GER)
TR: Calvin Böckmann and The Phantom Of The Opera (GER)
Balázs Kaizinger and Herr Cooles Classico (HUN)
Susie Berry and Wellfields Lincoln (IRL)
Sarah Ennis and Action Lady M (IRL)
Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue (IRL)
TR: Aoife Clark and Freelance (IRL)
Evelina Bertoli and Fidjy des Melezes (ITA)
Emiliano Portale and Future (ITA)
Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress (ITA)
TR: Pietro Sandei and Rubis de Prere (ITA)
Ryuzo Kitajima and Cekatinka (JPN)
Yoshiaki Oiwa and MGH Grafton Street (JPN)
Kazuma Tomoto and Vinci de la Vigne (JPN)
TR: Toshiyuki Tanaka and Jefferson (JPN)
Noor Slaoui and Cash In Hand (MAR)
Janneke Boonzaaijer and Champ de Tailleur (NED)
Sanne de Jong and Enjoy (NED)
Raf Kooremans and Radar Love (NED)
TR: Elaine Pen and Divali (NED)
Clarke Johnstone and Menlo Park (NZL)
Jonelle Price and Hiarado (NZL)
Tim Price and Falco (NZL)
TR: Caroline Powell and Special Cavalier (NZL)
Malgorzada Korycka and Canvalencia (POL)
Robert Powala and Tosca del Castegno (POL)
Jan Kaminski and Jard (POL)
TR: Wiktoria Knap and Quintus 134 (POL)
Manuel Grave and Carat de Bremoy (POR)
Alexander Peternell and Figaro des Premices (RSA)
Frida Andersén and Box Leo (SWE)
Louise Romeike and Caspian 15 (SWE)
Sofia Sjöborg and Bryjamolga van het Marienshof Z (SWE)
TR: Malin Asai and Golden Midnight (SWE)
Robin Godel and Grandeur de Lully CH (SUI)
Mélody Johner and Toubleu de Rueire (SUI)
Felix Vogg and Dao de l’Ocean (SUI)
TR: Nadja Minder and Toblerone (SUI)
Boyd Martin and Fedarman B (USA)
Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake (USA)
Elisabeth Halliday and Nutcracker (USA)
TR: Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire
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Christopher Burton and Shadow Man (AUS) | Groom: Maddie Taylor
Renowned as the fastest cross country rider in the world, Chris Burton actually took a sabbatical from eventing at the end of 2021, only returning to the sport this year in a bid for Olympic selection. In his “time off”, the multiple 5*-winning rider wasted no time in climbing the ranks in the show jumping world — at one point it looked like he might be selected to ride for Australia in both disciplines.
His partner in Paris, Shadow Man, is no stranger to the international show jumping circuit either, having contested some CSI2* and CSI3* tracks with previous rider Ben Hobday. With Ben, “Fidgy” made his 5* debut at Badminton back in 2022, though they did not complete, parting company three-quarters of the way around cross country. However, they were second in the Nations Cup in Strzegom in 2019, and fifth in the 4*-S at Bramham that same year, proving that Fidgy has bravery in spades, as well as scope. He and Chris have only been together since March, but they have wasted no time in getting to know one another. Chris ran him reasonably steady across country on their first couple of outings, though had he put his foot down on the gas, they would have been well placed in both Strzegom and Kronenberg. When he did finally take the brakes off in the Nations Cup at Millstreet in June, this pair showed that they really do mean business, adding nothing to their dressage score of 25.7.
This will be a third Olympics for Chris, and he will not be heading to France to make up numbers. Agonizingly close to an individual medal in Rio where he finished fifth, Chris has every shot at a medal this time around, with a partner who is as talented in all three phases as the man riding him.
Kevin McNab and Don Quidam (AUS) | Groom: Lucy Hartley
Kevin McNab and his wife Emma moved to the UK in 2012, setting up a yard in Surrey, southwest of London. They have both represented Australia in eventing — Emma at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, and Kevin at the Tokyo Olympics, where he and his partner in Paris, Don Quidam, finished 14th individually while the Australian team took home the Bronze medal. However, it didn’t seem like they would even get to start at first, as they were initially named as traveling reserve.
“Every day is fun with him, he’s a horse you enjoy riding every time,” Kevin says of Don Quidam, and together they have enjoyed a number of successful 5* runs, including sixth place at Kentucky in 2021 as well as a couple of top-20 placings at Pau. Kevin has played a pivotal role in the careers of several leading riders, amongst them his teammate in Paris, Chris Burton. It is unlikely that he and Don Quidam will be anywhere near the top of the leaderboard after dressage, but they have a helpful habit of delivering a double jumping clear, which could see them inch their way back up the placings, perhaps bettering their result in Tokyo. A broken cheek piece saw him amass a huge amount of time as well as 20 jumping penalties at the World Championships in Pratoni last year, despite being in the top 10 after dressage, so one thing that is for certain in Paris will be a thorough tack check before he sets off cross country!
Shane Rose and Virgil (AUS) | Groom: Jamie Atkinson
It is almost impossible to remember a time when Shane Rose and Virgil were not together, so long have they been a partnership. 15 years to be precise, and in that time they have amassed too many results to mention here, representing Australia at several different championships including the Tokyo Olympics, where they also finished tenth individually. Last year, they won the Adelaide 5* with just 0.8 cross country time faults to add to a 28.1 dressage score. They have also finished in the top-10 at both Pau and Luhmuhlen’s 5*s, top 20 at Burghley, and won the ERM series leg at Blair Castle in 2017.
“He has to be the centre of attention,” Shane says fondly of his long term partner, who is not only a cross country machine, but also careful enough to be considered as a full-time show jumper before Shane bought him. Add to that a natural dressage ability, and you have yourselves a combination with all the credentials for a podium finish. It would be a remarkable turn around for Shane, who suffered a heavy fall earlier this year, leaving him unable to walk, let alone ride. However, a few broken bones is nothing to worry about for this man; over the course of his career, he has broken both legs and arms more than once, smashed his wrists, punctured lungs, split his liver, had reconstructive surgery on his face, and fought his way back from thyroid cancer. Winning an Olympic medal should come pretty easy to him then!
Traveling Reserve: Shenae Lowings and Bold Venture (AUS) | Groom: Charlotte Andrews
This will be the second senior team appearance for Shenae and Bold Venture in as many years. Like her team mate Shane Rose, with whom she was based for a short while, 28-year-old Shenae is still based in the Southern Hemisphere, although she has ventured over to Europe a few times over the last few years. A trip to Italy was one of the highlights, where she made her team debut at the World Championships in Pratoni. A 26.3 dressage made the world sit up and take notice, though an unusual three poles on the final day ultimately dropped her and Bold Venture back down the leaderboard.
Bought sight unseen from a Facebook advert, ex-racehorse “Bentley” did not take well to his first career, finishing second last on more than one occasion, despite his impressive breeding. Known then as “Hell on Wheels”, that certainly seemed to be the case in his younger days. “He was a beautiful looking, but very, very, quirky horse,” said Shenae of the gelding. “I spent two weeks in the round yard trying to get on and off him without him running off bucking or doing something that he shouldn’t have been doing!” However, Shenae persevered and it has paid off: they won the Olympic qualifier at Millstreet in 2023, were in the top 20 at Aachen last year, and have won the CCI4*-L at Adelaide two years in a row in their native country. “He’s a real individual, but what makes him so special is how much he trusts me and the bond we have,” she says of Bentley. As traveling reserve, we may not actually see them start in Paris, although this will certainly not be the last we see of this duo on the world stage.
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Harald Ambros and Vitorio du Montet (AUT) | Groom: Susanne Ambros
The acquisition of Vitorio du Montet was one of the best-kept secrets of the last couple seasons, and what a boon it is for Austria, who keep quietly chipping away at becoming a major player on the world stage. Vitorio du Montet was formerly a 5* ride of France’s Maxime Livio, with whom he finished eighth at Pau in 2020, and fifth there the next year. In 2022, he headed to Badminton, but fell at the final fence, and after that, he was sold on to Spain, where he returned to international competition early the next year. Two runs later, he changed riders again, this time to Czechia for a few months before Harald Ambros took the reins in September of last year.
Harald, who works as a full-time dentist, will make his fourth Olympic start in Paris — he took part in Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008, and London in 2012. With Vitorio du Montet, he looks like he could record an exciting finish, too: we’ll be expecting a mid-30s score, but a swift cross-country run and a clear round (or rounds!) on the final day should see them climb. They won’t hunt for a medal this time, but this is a great chance to see a hugely exciting horse contributing to the development of a nation. Two placings at CCI4*-S and CCI4*-L on their way to France also certainly boost the confidence, not least of this media team.
Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line (AUT) | Groom: Julia Öhner
It’s a second Olympic call-up for 26-year-old Lea, who made her debut as the youngest eventing competitor in Tokyo. She may be young, but she’s got all the maturity and experience of an Olympian’s daughter, her father Harald having competed as part of the Austrian team at Athens 2004. Lea proved to be a force in her own right when she took on Tokyo, finishing 15th individually with her Junior and Young Rider horse, DSP Fighting Line. “Fighty” is an appropriate moniker for this tough gelding, who’s been in the form of his life this season, with two wins and a second place on his card. They regularly post sub-30 dressage scores and Lea will certainly be aiming for a clear round on cross country day; they added just 2.4 time penalties on their Olympic debut. This is a horse who’s enviously equally good in all phases, most often jumping clear in the final phase, although he did have one pole in the first round in Tokyo, and two in the second. But Lea’s the kind of rider who’s constantly learning and developing, and that will stand her in good stead as she comes forward for her second Games. With their trademark fighting spirit and three years more experience — including a World Championships — this pair will surely be looking to be make their mark even higher up the leaderboard this time around.
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Lara de Liedekerke-Meier and Origi (BEL) | Groom: Bettina Cardinael
What an extraordinary couple of seasons Arville-based Lara is having. After a seriously tough run of luck culminated in her falling at the first fence on cross-country at Pratoni, the 36-year-old has only doubled her resolve and her formidable work ethic, and now she’s at the forefront of the changing tide of Belgian fortunes. The feather in her cap? A win with homebred Hooney d’Arville in the CCI5* at Luhmühlen in June, which made her the first-ever Belgian 5* winner — but that’s hardly her only accolade. She had two horses finish in the top ten at Aachen earlier in the month, she helped steer Belgium to both a qualification for Paris at last year’s Europeans and a series win in the FEI Nations Cup in 2023, and she ended last season with the second-most wins of any eventer in the world, the most cross-country runs, the most clear rounds in either jumping phase, the most clears inside the time, the most… well, everything, really. This year, she already has seven FEI wins to her name and, at the time of writing, 35 placings.
Origi might be a slightly surprising choice for fans, who will know that Lara has five horses qualified for the Olympics — after all, he’s just ten years old, and relatively short on experience compared to his stablemates. But Lara has always had him in mind as choice number one, because he’s capable of being very flashy on the flat, he’s quick and clever across the country — his few penalties, she insists, are down to bad decisions by her, not him — and he’s a truly remarkable show jumper. With the potential for two rounds on the final day, this little orange dude, who’s got three FEI top-fives to his name this year so far, is exactly who you’d like to find yourself sitting on.
Karin Donckers and Leipheimer Van’t Verahof (BEL) | Groom: Dirk Vermeiren
Karin Donckers is a force to be reckoned with: at this point in her career, she’s already been to six Olympics, eight World Championships, and 14 European Championships. She’s arguably the most experienced rider in the entire field, and that makes her an extraordinary asset for the rising fortunes of the Belgian front, even if she’s on a slightly less-experienced horse than usual this time around.
We’re used to seeing Karin riding Fletcher van’t Verahof, with whom she competed in Rio, the last three World Championships, and four Europeans too. But the 19-year-old gelding, who was still running internationally as of May, is stepping down this time to make way for his full brother, the 13-year-old Leipheimer van’t Verahof. Together, he and Karin haven’t finished outside the top twenty in an FEI event since mid-2021, and while he’s still chasing an elusive first career win, he’s become a really consistent campaigner. He’s not slow, but he’s not wildly fast — usually, he’ll sit around 10 time penalties — and he’s a 30-ish scorer, too. That’s enough to put him there or thereabouts, and his penchant for a show jumping clear means he often winds up, if not in the top ten, then in the top twenty and very respectable. His reliability will be an asset as Belgium fights for a best-ever finish here, and while he won’t be a contender for an individual medal, he and his hugely experienced rider are worth their weight in gold when it comes to trying for the pipe dream of a team medal.
Tine Magnus and Dia van het Lichterveld Z (BEL) | Groom: Dorien de Swaef
2022 Belgian Champion Tine Magnus has been making waves in her sport despite not actually eventing full-time — she works on her family’s chicory farm as her “proper” job, and events very successfully on the side of that. Her ride for this year’s Olympics, which will be her debut, is a remarkable 10-year-old in Dia van het Lichterveld Z, who many, many people have tried to get their hands on, totally unsuccessfully. It’s not hard to see why: from the start of her career, she’s had an eye-catching penchant for jumping and a huge amount of natural talent, and that promise has been followed through with every step up the levels.
Tine, who rides the striking mare for owner and breeder Kris Van Vaerenbergh, comes to Paris having won the technical, tough CCI4*-S at Strzegom with “Dia”, as well as placing in Saumur’s CCI4*-L on tricky ground. Dia is a low-to-mid-30s horse in the first phase, a naturally very quick and reliable cross-country horse, and a very good showjumper too, and while this selection comes early in her career, she’s arguably one of the most exciting talents in the sport — and so is Tine. We’ll likely see them hit their peak at LA in four years’ time, but this summer, they could help Belgium make history at the Olympics, and that would be an extraordinary fairytale finish.
Traveling Reserve: Maarten Boon and Gravin Van Cantos (BEL) | Groom: Emmanuelle Haelvoet
Maarten gets the eleventh-hour call-up into the reserve slot after the Monday withdrawal of Cyril Gavrilovic and Elmundo de Gasco, and its a poignant moment for him with his 13-year-old Gravin van Cantos. These two have an incredible relationship and know each other so well that Maarten actually spends very little time watching other riders over courses they’re going to tackle, because he knows his horse and has a firm plan that suits her. That approach has seen them become an asset to the Belgian lineup at Nations Cups, and they tend to be pretty consistent and steady in all three phases, though one of their rare mistakes did come on the world stage at Pratoni in 2022, when they fell on cross-country. They’re very capable of a sub-30 score, a workmanlike cross-country round in a decent time, and a one-rail final phase.
Whether he gets to run or not, Maarten will be an asset to his fellow riders with his sunny optimism. He’s a real family man and that really shows on him, and he’s become part of the fabric of the Belgian eventing community: his first World Championships came as a groom in the late 90s for fellow Belgian Kris Vervaecke, and he’d often look after Kris’s young son, Senne. Now, as a team rider in his own right, Senne has spent the last few years coaching Maarten’s own son, who, he laughs, asks him most days when he might give him the ride on Gravin van Cantos, a horse the whole family enjoys riding at home.
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Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Castle Howard Casanova (BRA) | Groom: Georgia Rogers
Paris will be Marcio’s third time on an Olympic team, having competed in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics. After earning seventh place in eventing at the Rio Games, Marcio moved to the United Kingdom and is now based at a yard in Wiltshire. His Olympic mount will be his partner of three years, Castle Howard Casanova. “Howard,” as the 11-year-old grey gelding is called back at the barns, is just really starting to step into his prime, having just completed a full season at the 4* level in 2022. Most notably, the pair came in at second place in the 2023 Pan American Games.
With just 11 starts under his belt, Howard has never had an obstacle fault on cross country, no matter the level, but is known to cross the finish line with a handful of time penalties. Slow and steady might be the main play in his book across the country, but Howard and Marcio are the ones to beat in the show jumping phase, going double-clear more often than not.
Rafael Mamprin Losano and Withington (BRA) | Groom: Holly Fitzgerald
He may be just 27 years old, but Rafael has nearly 100 FEI starts to his name and an impressive track record, having competed in the Tokyo Olympic Games. However, he unfortunately had to retire on the cross country track in Tokyo, leaving him with what I’m sure is a lot to prove for his second attempt at the Olympic level.
Rafael has only been competing Withington internationally since June 2023, taking over the ride from Great Britain’s Sam Ecroyd, who was campaigning him at the 2* and 3* level. So far, their partnership seems to be off to a good start, even coming in ninth at the Pan-American Games in 2023, where he helped his team earn a Bronze medal. Most recently, they completed the 4*-S at Marbach in Germany, where a MIM activation added 11 points to their score, dropping them down from the middle of the pack to 32nd place. With a little luck, Rafael and Withington will be able to avoid a similar result at the Paris Olympics.
Carlos Parro and Safira (BRA) | Groom: Charlotte Menzies
Carlos Parro saddles up for his fourth Olympic games representing Brazil, bringing forward his own and John and Juliet Chambers’ Safira, who is 12 this year. This mare is a special one for the Chambers of Springfield Stud, who also bred her by their homebred stallion, Spring’s Spirit. Safira joined Carlos’ string in the 2018 season, initially starting her international career in the show jumping ring and jumping through the CSI4* level. Carlos has been methodical in his production of the mare, waiting until 2023 to step her up to the CCI4* level.
In the fall of last year, Carlos and Safira were members of the bronze medal-winning Brazilian team in the Pan American Games, finishing 11th individually. The mare has done one 4*-L to date, at Sopot, where she finished sixth. She’s got a 6RA finishing score of 33.0 according to EquiRatings, which puts her solidly into contention for a strong finish at Paris. Show jumping might be a weaker link for this pair, as they’ve not collected a clear round at the 4* level to date, and should Carlos be in the top 25 after the team round, he will have the extra challenge of coaxing another round out of the mare.
Traveling Reserve: Ruy Fonseca and Ballypatrick SRS (BRA) | Groom: Alena Dorotich
Ruy Fonseca finds himself in the traveling reserve position this year with Ballypatrick SRS, narrowly missing out on team selection for Brazil. A two-time Olympian and World Championships rider himself, Ruy brings a wealth of experience to the table should he be called in to join the team. He’s also a generous host, opening up his Bombadill Equestrian in England to multiple riders ahead of the Games and also to some of the U.S. Developing Tour riders who traveled overseas earlier this summer. Ruy and Ballypatrick SRS were also members of the Brazilian team in Chile at last year’s Pan American Games, finishing 12th individually. They also started the World Championships in Pratoni in 2022, but withdrew following dressage.
This pair has loads of experience at the 4* level, and while perhaps an unfortunate pick-up of 20 penalties on cross country at their final prep in Sopot may have deterred their eventual team selection, they’ve laid down an excellent body of work that can’t be ignored — particularly a stellar show jumping record nearly free of rails at the 4* level.
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Jessica Phoenix and Freedom GS (CAN) | Groom: Lisa Barry
Jessica Phoenix gears up for her third Olympic Games with Canadian-bred Freedom GS. The mare’s suffix of GS makes her easily identifiable as a product of owner and breeder Charlotte Schickedanz’s family operation, Schickedanz Galten Farms. The family’s early pride came in the form of Abdullah, one of the most prolific show jumpers of the 1980s, and Jessie’s Paris partner is a descendant of Abdullah’s damline.
Sired by 4* eventer Humble GS, “Freedom” is the product of four decades of Canadian breeding. This pair will be pleased with a dressage result in the mid-to-low 30s. Jessie has carefully produced the mare through the levels, and her cross country record reflects her boldness. Time penalties in the endurance phase would be expected, but more often than not Freedom produces a penalty-free show jumping effort. Their average finishing score of 35.5 certainly keeps them punching against this field, especially considering the massive advantage that is Jessie’s championship experience.
Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo (CAN) | Groom: Amber Wavryk
An impulsive purchase at the esteemed Monart Sale has paid off in spades for Karl Slezak, who seven years later is riding that planned resale, the mare Hot Bobo, in his Olympic Games debut. “Bobo” was a sale fail for Karl and his wife, Katlyn, as the mare was excessively spooky, but those early challenges turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the Irish Sport Horse has proven her worth time and time again. In her first season at the Advanced level, she made headlines winning the massively competitive Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S, securing her place at the 2023 Pan American Games, where they helped team Canada secure their place in the 2024 Paris Olympics while earning individual fourth. On their best day, the pair are certainly capable of sub-30 dressage, as demonstrated by a score of 27.6 in their last outing, the CCI4*-S at Bromont, which they won. We can’t say the mare’s cross country record is faultless, but she’s certainly reliable and has shown she can rise to the occasion when it matters. While they had two rails down on the final day at the Pan Ams, this pair has also shown they can jump clear on a final show jumping day, and are lined up to be an exciting combination for the Maple Leafs.
Michael Winter and El Mundo (CAN) | Groom: Amy Ferris
UK-based three-time Canadian Olympian Mike Winter is an advocate for diversity and anti-racism in sport, as well as speaking up for equality issues such as clean drinking water, education, and health care, using his platform as a top-level rider to raise awareness of these important issues. When he’s not training horses, going eventing, or being an advocate extraordinaire, Mike likes snowboarding and tractors.
While this is a first Olympics for El Mundo, he’s got solid championships experience under his cinch: he made the trip to Pratoni with the Canadian team in 2022 and then produced an excellent, career-best placing — individual fifth — at the Pan-American Games in Santiago last year, which helped Canada to team Gold. We’re looking at low- to mid-30s in the dressage, followed by a clear cross country jumping round; you have to go all the way back to Pratoni to find penalties on their record. They’re no slouches either, with time penalties this season firmly in the single figures. This gelding’s a one or none kind of guy in the show jumping, more often none, although he can add a smidge of time.
“Roberto” joined Mike’s barn as a six-year-old “produce and sell” prospect. But when a major injury meant Roberto was confined to box rest, Mike appointed himself as the gelding’s round-the-clock carer, and the bond they formed cemented their long-term partnership, a relationship that’s a joy to see in action when they’re out eventing together.
Traveling Reserve: Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye (CAN) | Groom: Meredith Wright
FE Golden Eye, aka “Goldie”, is a multi-talented gelding for sure, dabbling in the show jumping ring and giving lessons to young kids as well as placing in the top ten at events from Bromont in Canada to Santiago, Chile. Goldie’s passport will have yet another page filled when he travels to the Paris Olympics. Colleen says the 12-year-old gelding is “kind and quiet… We’ve used him for lessons with young kids before. I taught an 11-year-old, and she had a full flat lesson on him. He’s just the kindest, sweetest horse, and he’s very intelligent.”
Hopefully that big heart will help him out as the traveling reserve for the Paris Olympics. This will be Loach’s third time traveling to the Olympics, albeit her first time in the reserve slot, having traveled to Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020.
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Alex Hua Tian and Jilsonne van Bareelhof (CHN) | Groom: Holly Wharfe
It’s been a circuitous trek to Paris this year for three-time Olympic rider Alex Hua Tian. Initially China was to send a team to Paris, but unfortunately the nation lost their qualification due to a failed drug test for Alex’s other horse, Chicko, at the final qualifier at Millstreet last fall. Although investigation determined that the drug in question, Regumate, was ingested inadvertently, the loss of a team berth still stood. Alex then had to refocus his efforts on maintaining his qualification as an individual, and will bring forward the 15-year-old gelding Jilsonne van Bareelhof, a solid competitor at the 4* level, to Paris.
This pair has a great jumping record and are well-capable of dipping into the mid-low 20s on the flat, and Alex’s experience for this fourth Olympic appearance puts them into good stead to potentially move into that top 25 individual final round. Alex, for his part, is also a stalwart ambassador for equestrianism in China, though he bases his operations in the UK. He can often be found teaching clinics and otherwise bringing inspiration to other Chinese riders to chase their dreams of following in his footsteps.
Huadong Sun and Lady Chin V’t Moerven Z (CHN) | Groom: Deborah Carpenter
This pair returns to the Olympics after representing on the Chinese team in Tokyo, where they finished ninth as a team and 37th individually. Now, Huadong Sun and Lady Chin V’t Moerven Z have another three years of practice under their belts, also dabbling in pure show jumping as they prepped for Paris. Huadong has lightly campaigned the 14-year-old mare in FEI competition this year after focusing on the 2023 Asian Games at the end of last year, where they finished fourth individually.
Impressively, Lady Chin V’t Moerven Z has very nearly a fault-free FEI record in terms of cross country jumping penalties — one pesky missed flag back in 2019 is the only mark against them. Show jumping’s a bit more of a weaker link for them, which can of course play into their chances at a top 25 individual finish this weekend, but the experience this pair has can’t be discounted and I would expect them to at least deliver a mid-high 20s mark on the flat and a clear cross country to put themselves into the best possible position for a strong finish.
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Miloslav Příhoda and Ferreolus Lat (CZE)
You may remember Ferreolus Lat as being the horse in Tokyo with the most strikingly voluptuous forelock. If you’ve been thinking about, like, other stuff since that Olympics (who are you?!), let us remind you: they finished 33rd at Tokyo after activating a frangible pin on their steady round and tipped just one pole on the final day. There they put a 33.8 on the board, which is about right — they’ve gone sub-30 once, in the European Championships at Avenches, which they contested shortly after Tokyo, and they’ve also crept into the high 30s a few times. They also competed at the World Championships in Pratoni in 2022, though that was a trickier week — they added 20 penalties on cross country and ultimately finished 62nd. This year, they’ve run in a CCI4*-S at Sopot and a CCI4*-L at Strzegom, finishing eighth and third respectively, though in small fields.
They come forward this week as one of two Czech individuals, because their small central European nation was granted another spot after the contentious disqualification of Lithuania. Czechia feels a little bit like Austria, or perhaps one step behind it in terms of their role on the world stage — they’re working hard at the periphery of eventing’s heart in order to create long-lasting structures that’ll benefit their country from the top down.
Miroslav Trunda and Shutterflyke (CZE)
Shutterflyke, who’s by Sir Shutterfly, is an out and out jumping horse, and contested the Six-Year-Old World Championships in her very first season of eventing back in 2017. This’ll be a second Olympics for her with Miroslav, who piloted her to 39th place at Tokyo with one mistake across the country at Tokyo. They also had twenty penalties while representing Czechia at the World Championships in 2022 — but generally speaking, actually, they’re a consistent pair in this phase, and have podium finishes in competitions such as the CCI4*-L at Strzegom.
Shutterflyke is a naturally quick horse with a high cruising speed, but the pair do lose some ground in the first and final phases. They trend towards the high 30s on the flat, and in showjumping, they’re usually going to take a couple of rails with them. But they’re still riding in service of the development of the sport in Czechia, and this Games is a great opportunity for that, thanks to the late acquisition of these two individual slots.
It’s well worth noting, too, that Miroslav is one of several riders in this competition to balance riding with another career. He’s an equine vet, specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of soundness problems.
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Peter Flarup and Fascination (DEN) | Groom: Anne Flarup
Our sole Danish competitor this week is the hugely experienced Peter Flarup, who was the head trainer for the national eventing team until two years ago, when he decided to step down to focus on his horses ahead of Paris. He’ll once again compete with 13-year-old Fascination, his Tokyo 2021 partner, with whom he finished 40th with two mistakes on the cross country. The horse was only a nine-year-old then, and in the years since, Peter’s put the work in to get him plenty more experience. That includes eight top-ten finishes at 4*, with a win at the CCI4*-S level at Maarsbergen last summer and a couple of trips around indoor eventing competitions too, which will have helped to expose the horse to unique pressure and atmosphere. Shortly after Tokyo, they had a run of unfortunate results, including a retirement on course in Luhmühlen’s CCI5*, and then retirement in a CCI3*-S and elimination in one of those indoor cross-country classes. From the start of the 2023 season onward though, that confidence knock has been resolved and their results have been hard to argue with. With the exception of one event, where Peter withdrew before cross-country, they’ve finished in the top ten in every FEI run in that time period (that’s eight placings).
Will that translate to a placing in Paris? It’s unlikely, because they’re almost certain to start around the 33 mark and finish with a rail or two, but they’re a quick pair who have become very reliable on cross country, and they should be able to fight for a really respectable result for their tiny nation. That’ll be the key thing — Denmark doesn’t get much funding for eventing, and riders are generally required to self-fund, so if Peter can nail down a great finish, it might make the powers-that-be take note.
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Nicolas Wettstein and Altier d’Aurois (ECU) | Groom: Diane Sulliger
Ready to feel like a complete under-achiever? Then please, read on. Nicolas Wettstein speaks five languages, has three passports, has ridden for three different nations, and has represented Ecuador at two Pan-American Games, two World Equestrian Game and, following Paris, three Olympics. Oh, and add to all of that the fact that eventing is not actually his full-time job. Instead, he juggles a top-level eventing career with his day job as CEO of a pharmaceutical distribution company in Geneva. To do that takes another level of dedication; Nicolas is up at 5 a.m. each day to ride his horses before work, and then squeezes in his own fitness sessions after work too. Born to a Swiss father and Algerian-born French mother, he rode for France as a Pony and Junior show jumper, before switching to Eventing — and the Swiss flag — as a Young Rider. However, he then switched nationality again in 2011, after meeting his Ecuadorian wife, Diana. “I really fell in love with the country — I got a feeling there I have never really felt in Europe,” he says of his decision..
His ride in Paris, the 14-year-old Selle Français gelding Altier d’Aurois, was also his ride for the Tokyo Olympic Games, though Nicolas openly acknowledges that he was a little green at those Games, where they dropped down the leaderboard after an early run-out on cross country. However, Paris 2024 was always the goal for this horse, who is owned by Nicolas and his parents and was bought as a seven-year-old show jumper. “A hard worker who always tries his best,” he was 14th at last year’s Pan-American Games, so hopefully Paris will see a marked improvement on his last Olympic appearance.
Ronald Zabala Goetschel and Forever Young Wundermaske (ECU) | Groom: Ashley Kehoe
“My whole life revolves around horses,” says Ronald, the second of two individuals riding for Ecuador at this Olympic Games. This will be Ronald’s second Olympics; he made history in London 2012 with Master Rose as the first Ecuadorian eventer to compete at an Olympics. 43rd on that occasion, Ronald had also made history two years previously when he became the first rider from Ecuador to qualify for a World Equestrian Games too. He did not compete on that occasion, but he and his Paris ride, Forever Young Wundermaske, did compete at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, where they finished 64th.
Like his compatriot and fellow Paris Olympian Nicolas Wettstein, Ronald is not a professional eventer. Instead, he heads up several lucrative businesses, although the sole aim of his various business endeavors is to fund his equestrian pursuits. Born in Ecuador to non-equestrian parents, he was given a pony at three years old, and all but taught himself to ride. He moved to the USA in 1984 to take a degree in Business Administration at Boston University, before retuning to Ecuador to start his various business pursuits. Indeed, he actually gave up riding for nine years, but never lost sight of his Olympic dream, and returned to the States to pursue his equestrian goals in 2002. These days, he continues to travel between Ecuador and the States, juggling business and horses: “I was born with this chronic, incurable disease called ‘horse-alcoholicness’, and it’s gotten worse over the years,” says Ronald. That may be so, but it has also got him to two Olympic Games — not bad for a boy who taught himself to jump over a fallen log.
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Esteban Benitez Valle and Utrera AA 35 1 (ESP)
Spain fought hard for a team qualification through the Nations Cup series last year, even sitting out the European Championships to save their horsepower for that — but when circumstances meant that they couldn’t field a team for the finale at Boekelo, they sadly had to hang up their boots on the team dream, and Italy walked away with the spot instead. But good news for the Spaniards: they have two individual spots this week, and will be well-represented at the Olympics.
The first of their two riders is German-based Esteban, who has his own business, Cadiz Sport Horses, in Seedorf. He moved to Germany in 2016 to train and was based for a period of time with Elmar Lesch near Luhmühlen, who’s as well-known for producing exceptional young professionals as he is for producing top-class young horses. Esteban is perhaps best known for his partnership with the diminutive, fiery mare Milana 23, with whom he competed at the 2022 World Championships and the European Championships in 2021 and 2019. Milana’s now stepped down to run for fun at 1* with Esteban’s girlfriend, Valentina, and his focus is instead on the exciting young Utrera.
At just 11, the grey Spanish-bred mare has already notched up some very good results, and since September of 2022, she’s finished in the top ten in seven of her eight FEI starts. She’s had a quiet lead-up to Paris — in fact, she hasn’t run in an FEI event since getting her confirmation results in March at Montelibretti CCIO4*-S where she was fourth, because all Olympic candidates had to travel back to Spain to compete in the National Championships instead — but she’s on a very evident upward trajectory. Her former high-30s scores have become consistent low-30s ones, her showjumping is improving, and her best phase, the cross country, continues to be excellent. She’s one of the most naturally quick horses in the field, with very few career time penalties to her name and just one jumping penalty in this phase ever in her 23 FEI starts. That came last summer at Arville’s CCIO4*-S, and she’s been on excellent form in her few runs since. They won’t vie for an individual medal, but this is certainly a great opportunity for them to put Spanish eventing on the map.
Carlos Diaz Fernandez and Taraje CP 21.10 (ESP) | Groom: Isabel Verdugo Manzano
This will be an Olympic debut for Carlos, who’s represented Spain at three World Championships and four European Championships. His most recent call-up at a championships came with the 11-year-old Taraje, who he rode at the 2022 World Championships. They got eliminated on cross country there, but evidently took a whole heck of a lot of learning away from an unfortunate situation, because since then they’ve been on super form. They haven’t finished lower than 16th in an FEI event since, and they’ve logged seven top-tens (and three wins!) since. Two of those wins came at Spanish 3*s, and one came in a small CCI4*-L at Floresti in Romania, where half the field was made up of horses who’ll be in Paris this week. In “real world” terms, they’ve gone sub-30 once at 4*, but more often sit around 30, with a 32.5 at the World Championships on their score card. They’re a very quick pair, and their elimination at Pratoni was their first cross country jumping mistake since the horse’s FEI debut. On Sunday, they tend towards a pole or two, but even so, they should do themselves — and the horse’s owner-breeder — proud as they help to develop Spanish eventing this week.
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Veera Manninen and Sir Greg (FIN) | Groom: Paivi Manninen
I just have to get this out of the way — I’m petitioning for Sir Greg to be the best-named horse in the whole of the Olympic field. In all seriousness, Greg and Veera are long-time partners, having competed together at the FEI level for nearly a decade. Veera describes the adorably grumpy Greg as a highly-motivated, intelligent, and willing horse. At just 24 years old, Veera took Greg through the Young Riders program, riding in the FEI Eventing European Championship 2021 for Young Rider and Juniors and placing seventh overall. Now, just three years later, she’s on the road to the Olympics in Paris.
Just a few weeks ago, Veera and Greg competed in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup in Strzegom, Poland, coming in sixth place by a narrow margin. A strong showing at a Nations Cup is exactly the sendoff you want prior to the Olympics. Hopefully this young pair can pull off a repeat performance in Paris.
Sanna Siltakorpi and Bofey Click (FIN) | Groom: Aino Lavonen
Going to the Olympics is not cheap, something Finland’s team knows more than most. A close friend of Sanna’s, Sari Passaro, launched a campaign to help fund the Finnish team’s preparation for and travel to the Olympics. The campaign, which sells team merchandise and is run by volunteers, has become dual purpose for a country where eventing is a lesser-known sport. According to Sanna, “hopefully it will inspire other riders as well. If Veera and I made it to the Olympics, maybe it could be possible for me too.”
With a little luck and backed by a big support group of friends and family, Sanna and “Click” will hopefully pull off a great ride at Paris. Sanna bought Click when the 15-year-old Swedish Warmblood was just four years old, and together, they’ve competed at the FEI level for one year shy of a decade. Bar one event at Strzegom where they placed 19th, this pair hasn’t placed outside the top ten since 2022.
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Karim Laghouag and Triton Fontaine (FRA) | Groom: Coraline Radigue
Karim is France’s best-loved star, and with good reason: he’s just about the friendliest person you’ll encounter in the sport, and he’s got such a good sense of humour that he’ll make you laugh even if there’s no common language shared. (Case in point: his impromptu post-dressage rave, famously recorded in the now-defunct Event Rider Masters series, which was pure Karim silliness and joy.) He’s also one heck of a competitor: he’s got five European Championships, two World Championships, and two Olympics under his belt already, and was part of the Bronze medal winning team at Tokyo with Triton Fontaine and the Gold medal winning team at Rio in 2016 with Entebbe de Hus. At last year’s Europeans, over a course designed by our Olympic designer, he was a bronze medalist with the team and tenth individually with Triton. They were also second in Pau’s CCI5* in 2022.
The pair can start sub-30, but are more likely to put a 31 or so on the board in the first phase (it was a 32.4 at Tokyo) — but after that, they’ll stay very, very close to that score. They’re among the fastest in this field, and have a solid string of consistent form now since their string of 20s in 2022. On Sunday, they’re likely to jump clear in at least one of their rounds. Moreover, Karim has the experience and the attitude to be the glue that holds a team together and keep that French spirit alive and thriving at a home Games. Expect colossal cheers when he’s on course — and somehow, he’ll be able to interact with his fans even while bringing his full focus to the questions in front of him. He’s a rare kind of gem, really.
Stéphane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau (FRA) | Groom: Marine Renault
One of the most poignant partnerships in this line-up is that of 30-year-old Stéphane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau, ordinarily styled as “Ride For Thaïs Chaman Dumontceau”. That prefix is an ode to the horse’s former rider and producer, young French talent Thaïs Meheust, who tragically lost her life in a cross-country fall while riding the gelding in the French seven-year-old championship at Haras du Pin back in 2019. She was just 22 and one of the country’s brightest rising stars, competing for her country at Pony, Junior, and Young Rider European Championships. Beyond that, she also represented the sport in FEI working groups and seminars, and was a force for positive change for everyone as she focused on her dreams.
One of those dreams was the Paris Olympics — and now she’ll get her chance to be there, thanks to her beloved horse and her friend Stéphane. Together, the pair have logged some exceptional results — they won a very, very tough Chatsworth CCI4*-S last spring, were sixth and bronze medalists with the team at the also very tough European Championships at Haras du Pin, and were eighth in the CCI4*-S at Pompadour this spring. They can go sub-30, and have even gone down to 22.8 at 4*, and they’re quick and very reliable across the country. They do, however, have a tendency to a rail.
This will be Stéphane’s second-ever team call-up, but he’s proven he’s more than ready to cope with the pressure — and he certainly won’t ride alone this week. It’s worth noting too that the Meheust family continues Thaïs’s legacy of positive change — the Ride For Thaïs foundation works to raise money for safety devices in the sport.
Nicolas Touzaint and Diabolo Menthe (FRA) | Groom: Aure Coulange
It always felt like a sure thing that Nicolas Touzaint, the stalwart of the French team, would be in Paris this summer, it just wasn’t clear which of his two top horses it would be with. Would it be Absolut Gold HDC, with whom he’d been team bronze medalist and individually sixth at the Tokyo Olympics, as well as team bronze medalist at the European Championships, or would it be 11-year-old Boekelo winner Diabolo Menthe?
In the end, it turns out it’s the latter who gets his first senior Championship call-up (he was bronze medalist in the Seven-Year-Old World Champs back in 2020, so he does have that under his belt). His is an impressive resume: in just 15 FEI runs, he’s got 13 top tens to his name, and two of those are wins. He’s never had a cross country jumping penalty in an international, and he’s gone clear inside the time eight times; he’s also a very good show jumper. And as for Nicolas? At 44, he’s already ridden for France at five Olympics, including playing a part in the team gold in Athens in 2004, as well as two World Championships and nine senior European Championships. He’s also the only Frenchman ever to win Badminton, which he did back in 2008. He’s got ice in his veins and is at his best on the World Stage, a very rare fall at the 2022 World Champs notwithstanding. He’s the kind of banker that the new three-to-a-team format begs for and will be aiming for team and individual medals this week.
Traveling Reserve: Gireg le Coz and Aisprit de la Loge (FRA) | Groom: Marion Rodde
As far as reserves go, it’s a bit of a treat to be able to have a pair as strong as Gireg and the charismatic Aisprit de la Loge in your back pocket. They were individuals at last year’s Europeans, where they finished 15th, and they’ve got two top-three finishes from two 4* starts this year. They finished 13th at Badminton in 2023 when the conditions were seriously tough, and were 18th there in 2022. They do have some inconsistencies to their name — in 2022, particularly, they ran into some issues that they resolved through the season, and they’ve looked on strong form ever since.
If they’re called up, they should deliver a sub-30 test, and they’re reasonably quick across the country and pretty reliable in the final phase. They might not be as consistent as some of their teammates, but on their day, they’re very, very good indeed. Gireg was previously based in the UK and rode with Chris Burton, Sam Griffiths, and William Fox-Pitt during his time there — and you can see all their various influences in his riding.
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Rosalind Canter and Lordships Graffalo (GBR) | Groom: Sarah Charnley
They say good things come to those who wait, and that is certainly the case for current World Number One, former World Champion, and reigning European Champion, Ros Canter. She was travelling reserve in Tokyo, possibly one of the hardest roles to take at any Championships, but she has finally got her chance at Olympic glory in Paris. Strong favourites for Individual Gold, Ros and Lordships Graffalo have impressed from the off, coming second on their first 5* run at Badminton 2022, before taking the win last year with an untouchable performance from start to finish. Indeed, it was 2022 — the year that “Walter” was second at Badminton — that the eventing world really began to sit up and take notice, when he followed up that stellar 5* debut with a double clear at the World Championships to end up in fourth — and all of this as a relatively inexperienced 10-year-old.
Last year, Walter also romped home clear and inside the time on a particularly testing cross country day at the European Championships in Haras du Pin, adding just one rail to their first phase score to take the win. Theirs was the fastest round of the day, something that has become somewhat of a trademark of this horse, who’s natural ability to balance himself lends itself perfectly to the dressage too; not since 2021 has this horse gone above 30, and it was a score of 21.3 that led them to the win in Haras du Pin. “I just feel like a very lucky girl to have a horse like Walter in my life,” says Ros, who has just regained the top spot on the FEI World Rankings, and arguably Walter is just as lucky to have a rider like her!
Laura Collett and London 52 (GBR) | Groom: Tilly Hughes
It’s hard to remember a time when London 52 wasn’t associated with record finishing scores and multiple 5* titles. Yet his was not an unchequered journey to the top. Despite early successes – top spot in the 8/9-year-old CCI4*-S at Blenheim in 2018 one of the most significant ones — “Dan” also had a few notable mistakes on his path to greatness, not least of which an elimination at the final water at the 2019 European Championships in Luhmühlen, where Laura was riding as an individual. However, he redeemed himself just a month later when he won the CCI4*-L in Boekelo, and it is fair to say he has never looked back. Laura refers to that event as the turning point in his career: “He’s always been quite a shy horse, but he has belief in himself now [post-Boekelo],” she said at the time. That belief manifested itself the following year, when he won his first 5*, at Pau. Selected for the Tokyo Olympics, the pair were ninth overall and helped to secure the Gold medal for Team GB.
The following year, Dan and Laura continued to cement their place at the top of the sport, winning Badminton in the spring and securing their selection for the World Championships in Pratoni. The wheels did come off again there with a shock drive-by, although Laura is determined to learn from her mistakes. She said “we tried to wrap him up too much” on that occasion, resulting in him being over-fresh on cross country day, so to avoid a recurrence of events, she plans to cross country school the week before Paris. With another 5* win at Luhmühlen last year, it seems that the only thing missing from Laura and Dan’s trophy cabinet is an individual medal, and there is every chance that Paris could be the place where they pick it up.
Tom McEwen and JL Dublin (GBR) | Groom: Adam Short
JL Dublin made his first Team appearance back in 2021 at the European Championships in Avenches. Piloted by the legendary Nicola Wilson, who produced him from a five-year-old, the ever-precocious “Dubs” — still only a 10-year-old — won both individual and team gold. Following their tragic — and in Nicola’s case, career-ending — fall at Badminton the following spring, Tom McEwen took the reins, and this incredible gelding has continued to go from strength to strength. Together, they have made several further team appearances, including last year’s European Championships. They parted ways at the final water on that occasion — one of only three cross-country errors in this horse’s career to date — in one of the most shocking twists of a day that was admittedly full of surprises. Other than that though, the pair have been incredibly consistent at the top level and within touching distance of a big win on numerous occasions.
Second twice at Kentucky, third at Pau last year, second in the CCI4*-S at Luhmühlen this year, Tom and Dubs have yet to hit the number one spot at a big one, but with an ever-impressive dressage score — they won the 4*-S in Kronenberg this spring with a PB of 20.9 — it seems that they are on the cusp of doing so, and what better place to do pull it off than at an Olympics?! An Individual Gold medal would certainly be a nice addition to the Team Gold and Individual Silver medals that Tom brought home from the Tokyo Olympics — and there is a high chance he could be bagging himself another Team Gold, too!
Traveling Reserve: Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir (GBR) | Groom: Alison Bell
It is testament to the strength and depth of the British team that the reigning World Champion is going as travelling reserve. Yes, you read that right: last year’s Aachen winners and this year’s Luhmühlen CCI4*-S winners, Yas and Banzai du Loir, are not actually lining up as part of the team of three in Paris. Instead, they will be waiting in the wings should anything go wrong for the other Brits, and what a pair to have sitting on the subs bench!
Runner up to Michael Jung on Banzai’s 5* debut at Kentucky in 2022, they went one better a few months later at the World Championships in Pratoni to take the World title. However, 2023 was not quite so successful for the pair; they had a shock 20 penalties on their return to Kentucky, and another at the European Championships, too. Still, as Yas herself, winner of every National title all the way up from Ponies, says, “that’s just horses, isn’t it? Some days you come out on top, and some days you don’t.” That’s not to say it was all bad though; they also became the first British combination to top the podium in Aachen, and were also second to their teammates Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo in the CCI4*-L at Blenheim. They have put their run of bad luck firmly behind them this year it would seem, with another podium finish in Kentucky, as well as taking the top spot in the CCI4*-S in Luhmühlen. Yas will no doubt be a little disappointed to be in the reserve spot with Banzai– a horse who was bought with the goal of getting to Paris — but as one of the brightest stars in British Eventing, and still practically just a child at 27, there is no doubt that this will not be her last Olympics.
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Michael Jung and Chipmunk FRH (GER) | Groom: Jenny Brendel
Chipmunk FRH is apparently the Leonardo DiCaprio of the horse world. Just as Leo was regularly snubbed for his reclusive Oscars statuette, “Chip” is still on the hunt for an Individual Gold medal to hang on his stall door, despite being one of the top eventing horses in the world. He’ll have to console himself with his two Team Gold medals (Pratoni World Championships 2022 and Luhmühlen Regional Championships 2019) instead.
Of course, Michi and Chip have still had a hugely-impressive career together. With a total of 25 4* starts on their record, this pair has galloped out of more 4* start boxes in the last few years than most will in their lifetime. However, he has been stuck in an always-the-bridesmaid-never-the-bride type situation, with one rail at the last fence costing him the gold at Pratoni in 2022, and similarly had one rail down at this year’s Luhmühlen Olympic Selection Trial CCI4*-S, again costing him the win. With a little luck, the rails will stay in their cups in the final phase at the Paris Olympics, and Michi and Chip will come home with the Individual Gold they’ve been striving for.
Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S (GER) | Groom: Li Ann Kirchheim
It is hard to believe that Christoph Wahler is only 30 years old; he has already achieved so much. He represented his country on five occasions as a Junior and Young Rider, bringing home several medals including an individual bronze in 2015 at the Young Europeans. Second in the 5* at Luhmuhlen in 2021, he and Cartajan S went on to finish seventh in the European Championships in Avenches later that year, his first Senior Championship where he was riding as an individual. He played a key role in helping to bring home Team Gold at the 2022 World Championships, adding only 9.6 cross country time faults to his first phase score, and finished just behind his teammate Sandra Auffarth in fourth place at last year’s European Championships in Haras du Pin, where he again added just cross country time faults to his finishing score. Germany won the Silver medal on that occasion, confirming Christoph and Cartajan as an invaluable part of the German team.
All of this, and Christoph doesn’t even consider eventing to be his full time job; in 2020, he took over the management of his family’s highly-successful breeding operation, Klosterhof Medingen, established by his grandfather and responsible for breeding some of the world’s best Trakehners. It would not be all that surprising to see Christoph take a place on the Individual podium in Paris, and this certainly won’t be the last Olympic appearance for this talented young man.
Julia Krajewski and Nickel 21 (GER) | Groom: Sandra Decker
A late overnight shuffle created instant headlines — the reigning Individual Gold medalist has left the German bench and is ready to defend her Olympic title as the first female Individual Gold medalist in eventing. While Nickel 21 might be a bit younger and not quite as experienced as Julia’s Olympic Champion and World Reserve Champion partner Amande de b’Neville, he is definitely not to be discounted and will certainly hold his own with Chip and Carjatan. He’s coming off a surprising (but not really) win at CHIO Aachen and has a whole slew of 4*-S placings to his name at the tender age of 10.
Nickel’s had a bit of a circuitous journey to this stage; he was originally purchased to be a show jumper, but didn’t display enough progression and instead transitioned into eventing initially with a young rider. Julia eventually took back the ride after the young rider, Sophia Rössel, took a gap year (lucky duck). Julia describes him as incredibly genuine, which is a marker of her rides if you look back through her recent history of Samurai du Thot, Chipmunk, and Amande de B’Neville. “Nickel is just like your best buddy,” she described at Aachen. “He really, really wants to go well with you — it’s very cool.”
Traveling Reserve: Calvin Böckmann and The Phantom Of The Opera (GER)
What a week for 23-year-old Calvin, who’s at the forefront of an extraordinary next-gen of German talent. He now finds himself in the traveling reserve spot, having occupied the achingly tough “fifth man” position — a spot that requires you to be available and on site but restricts your access to all that sweet merch, and requires you to leave once the competition begins. And so the sweet relief at getting to be a part of it all must be enormous, even if it’s a touch bittersweet to see a teammate miss out.
Enough of how he got here, though — let’s look at the credentials Calvin brings to the table. He was once styled “the Young Jung” by EquiRatings for his stylish, intuitive riding, which saw him attain huge success and accolades throughout his Pony, Junior, and Young Rider career. He’s based in the Warendorf system that produces the Olympians of the future and so rides under Julia Krajewski, who has stepped into the team proper now. His 5* debut came at Kentucky this year, where he and Phanty won plenty of fans through their palpable bond, their boldness, and their joie de vivre — and though they picked up 20 penalties on course, they looked every inch en route to being big winners in years to come.
Just before Paris, they were runners up at CHIO Aachen — an extraordinary accomplishment for a rider still so early in his career. He was also sixth at Luhmühlen’s CCI4*-S in June — a huge selection trial full of the very best of the best — with Altair de la Cense, a mare he’s carefully and sympathetically brought back to the top after a long stint of 20s even when she went back down to two-star. He and Phanty, who was initially produced by Sandra Auffarth, have a colossal amount of top ten finishes to their name, and if they’re used this week, they should start around the 30-31 mark, deliver a speedy round on cross country day, and then, on Sunday, they’re about 50/50 on clears and one-rail rounds. Even if he doesn’t run, Calvin will have an extraordinarily educational week that will play a huge part in his development as Germany’s next big thing.
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Balázs Kaizinger and Herr Cooles Classico (HUN)
We’ve got a sole Hungarian representative in this year’s field, and his will be a familiar name to anyone who follows eventing on the continent. Balász (that’s pronounced “Balash”, for what it’s worth) will be his country’s first representative at the Games since 1996, and that’s a great score for the central European nation. He’s been based in Germany for the better part of a decade, and competed with his top horse, Clover, at the 2022 World Championships, finishing 61st.
Twelve-year-old Herr Cooles Classico, who was initially produced by Germany’s Beeke Jankowski until 2021, stepped up to 4* in the middle of 2023. He has six runs at the level under his belt, and other than one activated safety device, he’s got a clear string of cross-country rounds. While he’s not among the fastest horses in the field, he’s not slow either — he added just 4.8 time penalties in his sole CCI4*-L start, which came at Sopot in May. They’re a mid- to high-40s pair on the flat, and tend to have a couple of rails on the final day, but a solid completion will be their goal and is absolutely within their grasp. That’ll be a great foundational finish as Balász continues to build this exciting “second-string” horse for the future.
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Susie Berry and Wellfields Lincoln (IRL) | Groom: Crisy Salmon
Susie Berry is already a Championship veteran, having represented Ireland at every stage of her career. That includes six European Championships from Ponies to Young Rider level, as well as appearances on Senior European and World Championship teams. All of that, and she is still only 28 years old. Moving over to the UK in 2014 to base with Piggy March, Susie was part of the first cohort of young riders to participate in the Wesko Foundation Young Eventer Programme, receiving mentorship from the likes of Pippa Funnell as a result. She left Piggy’s yard in 2020, setting up on her own just a few miles down the road in Kettering, Northampton, which made the move a lot less daunting: “All my friends are still here, all my support network, like the farrier, the physio, the vet. They all stayed the same, so it took quite a lot of the pressure off leaving the comfort blanket that was Piggy’s to set up my own.”
This will be Susie’s first Olympics, and her first Championship with “Slinky”, a horse she has produced since 2018. Still only 11, Slinky has “fewer miles on the clock than the others [horses she could have been selected on]” but they have been top ten on all but one of their International starts so far this season, and can be relied on to produce not only a low, if not sub-30 dressage score, but a safe and clear cross country round. Add to that an ability to jump clear on the final day more often than not too, and there is little doubt that Susie’s Olympic debut will be a remarkable one, and possibly the first of many.
Sarah Ennis and Action Lady M (IRL) | Groom: Emily Singleton
Not content with only being an accomplished equestrian, Sarah Ennis is also very into water-based activities and is a keen diver, qualified to Divemaster level (no idea what that means; I guess if you know, you know?!). In between all of that, she has managed to find time to represent her country on several different occasions, contributing to the Team Silver Medal at the 2018 World Equestrian Games, where she also finished fifth. Part of the Tokyo Olympic team, she was also part of the Irish squad at last year’s European Championships in Haras du Pin, delivering the second-fastest time of the day and helping to bring the Irish agonizingly close to the podium again, with a fourth-place finish for the team. Remarkable really, given that she only started eventing when she was 18; prior to that she was solely focused on dressage.
Tiny Action Lady M — she stands at just 14.3hh — is still relatively inexperienced at just 10 years old, although she has pulled off a double jumping clear on all of her starts this season, landing comfortably in the top 10 in all three of her international starts. Her dressage score averages around the mid to low 30’s, which should leave them comfortably in the middle of the pack, although they could well climb following the jumping rounds, which are undoubtedly their strong suit.
Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue (IRL) | Groom: Francesca Denning
There was not a dry eye in the house when Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue topped the podium in Maryland last year and became the first Irish rider to do so since 1965. This pair burst onto the international stage at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where the last-minute withdrawal of Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua saw them being called up from the reserve spot. Despite a rather uninspiring dressage, they would go on to record the fastest cross country round of the day, and finish best of the Irish in 13th place. Since then, their star has continued to rise, culminating in that historic win in Maryland.
Eighth at Badminton in 2022 and third last year, to go clear inside the time — or at least very, very close — is something that is almost expected of these two, and barring a very uncharacteristic drive-by at the Leaf Pit at Burghley last year (which ultimately set him on his path to Maryland), “Salty’s” cross country record is nigh on immaculate. Second in this year’s CCI4*-S at Bramham with a first phase PB of 26.4, Austin is aware that dressage would be this horse’s Achilles heel, and as such has been working hard with Tracie Robinson to lower their usual score of mid to low 30’s. The hard work seems to be paying off, and what a time for it to be coming to fruition as they head into their second Olympics together.
Traveling Reserve: Aoife Clark and Freelance (IRL) | Groom: Natalie Wallace
Aoife spent most of last season on the sidelines, having badly broken her arm earlier in the season. “A year ago my arm was swinging and I had to ‘catch’ it, with bits of bone coming out in all sorts of places they shouldn’t,” she reflected, following her selection as traveling reserve with the 11-year-old mare, Freelance. So while she may not get her chance to start in Paris, the very fact that she is going is nothing short of miraculous — it took until earlier this year for Aoife to be fully fit and riding again. Luckily, Laura Collett deputized for her last season, giving Freelance a couple of educational CCI4*-L runs before Aoife took the reins again at the beginning of this year.
Fourth in the CCI4*-L at Saumur with just a couple of cross country time faults to add to their first phase score of 27.2, Aoife and Freelance are everything you could ever wish for in a Team Reserve: capable of a smart dressage score as well as a steady double clear — rarely does Freelance lower more than a pole, if that, in the final phase. Aoife brings forward a wealth of experience too; she was seventh at the 2012 London Olympic Games — best of the Irish, on that occasion — and has been in the top 10 at Badminton more than once as well.
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Evelina Bertoli and Fidjy des Melezes (ITA) | Groom: Francesca Genovese
We see Evelina Bertoli and Fidjy des Melezes heading in to Paris coming off of a 13th individual and Team Silver in the 4* Nations Cup at Avenches in June. Bertoli and the 13-year-old mare “Fidjy”, owned by the rider and az. Agricola di campello argenta, have been partners since 2020, and moved up to the 4* level quickly that year, finishing their first 4* together in 18th at Pratoni. Since then, these two have been seen to score in the upper 20s or low 30s in dressage and have a typically clear cross country record, with an occasional rail.
Emiliano Portale and Future (ITA) | Groom: Simone Tenti
Emiliano Portale, along with his, Scuderia 1918 Capital srt, and Emma McNab’s gelding Future, bring their new but experienced partnership to Paris. Named the 2021 Athlete of the Year by the National Union of Veterans of Sport of Rome in Italy, Portale started riding “Manny” in the 2023 season. Manny had previous 4* experience with Pietro Grandis prior to Portale taking the ride, and while this partnership is new, they have already finished in the top 10 at four 4* events. We often see an upper-20 or low-30 dressage score, an impressively clear cross country record, and typically a rail or two.
Giovanni Ugolotti and Swirly Temptress (ITA) | Groom: Charlotte Hodgson
Giovanni Ugolotti and Krin and Kristina Rausing’s Swirly Temptress bring a long term partnership to the table. Ugolotti rode the now-12-year-old mare at the 1* level back in 2018, developing her to the 4* level in 2020 and finishing 19th at Strzegom in her 4* debut. Since then, these two have 17 4* competitions starts under their belt, and notably won the 4*-L at Ballindenisk in 2022. These two typically wow in the dressage, often scoring in the 20s at the 4* level, even scoring a 24.4 at Boekelo. They have a solid cross country record, but a possibility of a rail or two.
Traveling Reserve: Pietro Sandei and Rubis de Prere (ITA) | Groom: Gaia Nelli
Pietro Sandei and az.agr. Galanthus di Castellani S.’s gelding Rubis de Prere come on to the team as the traveling reserve, adding the Olympics to their impressive and extensive resume. This partnership began competing at the FEI levels together back in 2011 at the 1* level. Over the last 13 years, Sandei and “Rubis” have competed in the 2018 World Equestrian Games, ridden through the 5* level — recently finishing 10th at Luhmühlen in June — and have a handful of 4* wins under their belt, including at Pratoni this May, Montelibretti last November, and in the 4*-L at Montelibretti in 2021. While a sub-30 dressage score has been seen from these two, they consistently score in the low to mid 30s, often jump around the cross country clear, but do have the chance of a rail.
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Ryuzo Kitajima and Cekatinka (JPN) | Groom: Matt Glenworth
In Tokyo, Ryuzo was traveling reserve with Feroza Nieuwmoed, and stepped in after the cross country elimination of teammate Yoshi Oiwa to show jump for his nation, which he did with a smart clear round inside the time. In 2016, he got the call-up with Just Chocolate and picked up 40 penalties across the country, withdrawing before the final horse inspection. Now, perhaps, the third time will be the charm as he heads to Paris on the team with the very talented Cekatinka JRA, who was purchased from the Prices’ yard ahead of Tokyo in Team Japan’s big buying spree.
Their form would suggest this one will go very well: they were second in the CCI4*-L at Ballindenisk in April and won the CCI4*-S at Mata do Duque in Portugal in March after Cekatinka sat out the 2023 season. That break came after the 2022 World Championships, where they jumped clear on cross country day but withdrew before the final horse inspection. They’ve gone sub 30 a few times at 4*, and as low as 25.7 back in 2022, but are generally low-30s or 30 scorers. They’re reliable and pretty speedy, and very good showjumpers — Cekatinka’s a clever, quick-footed, catty mare ,and Ryuzo gets great training from Angela Tucker, with whom he’s based in England.
Yoshiaki Oiwa and MGH Grafton Street (JPN) | Groom: Emily Gibson
Japan has really invested in horsepower over the last couple of Olympic cycles, and although the plug looked pulled on that funding last year when Japan initially failed to qualify a team, they hit the ground running again once China’s disqualification meant that they stepped onto the team roster. Their biggest purchase of the year? Pippa Funnell’s 2019 Burghley winner, MGH Grafton Street, for hugely experienced Yoshi Oiwa.
Yoshi made history for Japan at London 2012 when he led the first phase; he made history again when winning Bramham’s CCI4*-L in 2017, becoming the first-ever Japanese rider to win a 4* outside his home nation. He’s been based in Germany for years, training with Dirk Schrade and basing his business out of his yard, but now he joins the rest of team Japan in the UK. One of the conditions of “Squirrel’s” sale was that the horse stay on Pippa’s Surrey yard and under her supervision, and that’s working well for them all so far — the notoriously mercurial, but very talented gelding has been performing superbly with Yoshi, who’s been able to fast-track his understanding of the horse with expert guidance from the person who knows him best.
They have four runs together at FEI events so far since coming together over the winter — a steady clear to start off at Kronenberg CCI4*-S, a quicker run at Burnham Market for 15th, a speedy fourth place in Ballindenisk’s CCI4*-L, and finally a 12th place in a big, hugely competitive selection trial CCI4*-S at Bramham in early June. Squirrel is never a sure thing — his penchant for a naughty run-out crops up throughout his career — but now, at 16, he’s looking like he might be ready to really take it all seriously. It’ll be fascinating, any which way, to watch this new partnership learn about one another through their biggest competition yet. They should start sub 30 — though maybe not with the crazy lows that Pippa sometimes got the horse to, like a 22.8 at Burghley — and if the communication is on point, they should be very quick across the country. A rail, though, is not out of the question in the final phase.
Kazuma Tomoto and Vinci de la Vigne (JPN) | Groom: Jackie Potts
Up until 2016, Kazuma Tomoto had never ridden around a cross country course — up until then, show jumping was his chosen discipline. However, having made the decision to switch to eventing with an initial goal of riding at the World Equestrian Games in 2018, he also then made another momentous decision: to move to Britain and base with William Fox-Pitt. Both decisions have paid off — he was part of the fourth-placed Japanese team at WEG in 2018, before going on to be fourth individually at the Tokyo Olympics. Although he had to learn almost everything about eventing from scratch, and initially found cross country a little scary, his name regularly features at the top of the leaderboard. He has come second at Blenheim twice, completed his first 5* in 2019, and was top 10 at both the World Championships and Pau in 2022.
It was with Vinci de la Vigne — a horse previously campaigned by French rider Astier Nicolas — that Kazuma took eighth place at the Worlds, adding just a pole and some cross country time faults to an impressive 25.9 dressage score, and the pair were third in the CCI4*-S at Bramham earlier this year. “He’s got a great eye and a very good feeling with a horse,” says his mentor, William Fox-Pitt, and Kazuma is equally as complimentary about him, crediting him with contributing to much of his success thus far: “He always gives me good advice.” Kazuma has a very good chance of finishing on the podium in Paris, making history in the process — the perfect story for an Olympics!
Traveling Reserve: Toshiyuki Tanaka and Jefferson (JPN) | Groom: Rowan Laird
Reserve for Team Japan, Toshiyuki is another rider who came to the sport a little later than most, at 22. It was a show jumping competition on TV that led to him learning to ride at Riding Club Crane in his native country, before his mentor there, Olympic veteran Kazuhiro Iwatani, encouraged him to take up eventing. Not only did he do just that, he also made the decision to move 6000 miles across the world to the UK, and base with Angela Tucker at Tetbury in Gloucestershire, despite not knowing a word of English. Twelve years later, he is preparing for his third Olympics, having also represented Japan at his home Olympics in Tokyo three years ago, as well as at the London Olympics in 2012. Part of the Japanese team at the World Championships in Pratoni, he completed his first 5* at Badminton back in 2019.
Toshiyuki and Jefferson only came together last year; prior to that he had been campaigned by Australia’s Chris Burton and then Bubby Upton, who took the reins in 2022. With Bubby, Jefferson came third in the CCI4*-L at Blenheim, and he and Toshi have enjoyed several top-10 placings together in their relatively short partnership, not least of all second place in the CCI4*-L at Blair Castle last year. With a dressage score averaging around the 30 mark — although it has dipped into the 20’s on occasion this year — and a propensity for a double clear, Team Japan can rest easy in the knowledge that their reserve horse and rider have the ability to make a very positive contribution to the Team result, should they be called upon to do so.
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Noor Slaoui and Cash In Hand (MAR)
One of the great stories of this year’s Games is that of Morocco’s Noor Slaoui, who is her nation’s first-ever international eventer and will be the first Arab woman or North African equestrian ever to compete in eventing at the Olympics. She’s not yet 30, and only began eventing at 19 when she’d relocated to the UK for university and drove past a horse trials and thought the whole thing looked rather like good fun. But horses were in her blood long before that — as a child in Casablanca, she’d spend whole days on the back of mules riding around the mountains, and when she moved to France at 18, she did a stint training with the Cadre Noir to become a riding instructor and graduate to “proper” riding. When she did discover eventing, she decided to do it properly: she bought a green seven-year-old and based herself with Aussie eventer Bill Levett to learn all she could. Within a couple of years, she went from BE90 to 3*, and now, here she is.
She’s still based in the UK, and runs a business buying, producing, and selling horses with Deborah Fellous, which helps to find her upper-level campaign with “Cashman”. But that’s not all this Forbes’ “30 Under 30” lister does — she’s also very involved with a remarkable project spearheaded by her mother, Amina, who became a paraplegic in her 30s after a cycling accident on holiday. Struck by how little support there was for people with disabilities, she started a rehabilitation centre in Bouskoura — the Noor Centre, no less — that’s helped over 25,000 people. It’s remained independent and uses a financing model that allows people without funds or insurance to receive treatment alongside those who can afford to pay. Noor has brought her own spin to the centre — she’s made visits with horses and ponies for therapeutic interactions with the patients.
All in all? She’s a rider well worth throwing your support behind as she trailblazes for her region, for Arab women, and for people living with disabilities. A steady completion will be her goal, and that will represent so much more than simply getting to the end of the competition.
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Janneke Boonzaaijer and Champ de Tailleur (NED) | Groom: Ria Westeneng
Janneke makes her sophomore Olympic appearance this week, having competed at Tokyo as an individual with Champ des Tailleurs. Their week there was an educational one; they picked up 20 penalties and an additional 11 for activating a MIM clip, and were subsequently eliminated for being deemed to have missed a fence in a combination. But now-26-year-old Janneke used the experience to fuel her fire, rather than dampen it, and she and her 17-year-old Champ have been on a roll since then. They finished 17th at last year’s European Championships and contributed to the team qualification here — the first Dutch team in eventing since Rio. They won Baborowko CCI4*-L last season, finished third in the Nations Cup CCIO4*-S at Strzegom the same year, and jumped competitive clears in three CCI4*-S classes this year, including over the tough terrain and conditions of Bicton.
They’ve often been mid-30s scorers, but they’ve been creeping downward, and that Bicton run saw them post a sub-30, so they look set to peak at the right moment. They’re ordinarily very reliable across the country — Tokyo was an outlier for them — and reasonably quick, and they’re more likely to show jump clear than not. They’ll helm an exciting Dutch effort this week and represent a fantastic building block for the future of the sport in the country.
Sanne de Jong and Enjoy (NED) | Groom: Jantien van Zon
It’s an Olympic debut for Sanne and her homebred Enjoy, who have previously represented the Netherlands at the 2022 World Championships, where they competed as individuals and finished 58th, and the European Championships in 2023 and 2021. They’ve also been to the Six- and Seven-Year-Old World Championships, and finished fourth at the former.
These two know one another inside and out — they’ve grown up together from the game mare’s birth, and Sanne broke her in herself. They’ve done all their “firsts” together – first 4*s, First Nations Cups, first Senior callups. Sanne’s mother, Jantien, who works for the Dutch federation, evented the mare’s granddam, and Joy’s mother, Next Joey, was intended for competition too, but lost her vision in one eye in an accident as a youngster and so became a broodmare instead.
Now, at 29 (Sanne) and 15 (Joy), they’re ready to tackle their biggest milestone yet. Their first-phase scores can fluctuate — they’ve gone sub-30 a few times at 4*, but can also reach the high-40s. They’re consistent across the country, and sit at a middling speed; their last 20 penalties came at last year’s Europeans, and so they’re averaging one wobble per year in internationals but a lot of smart clears. Sanne’s put a tonne of work into the final phase, too — it used to be a little tricky for Joy, and now she’s got a clear run stretching back a year. That’s no surprise, really — Sanne, who’s a keen producer of talented young horses, also spends a lot of time doing pure show jumping.
Raf Kooremans and Radar Love (NED) | Groom: Lydie Kooremans
This is a relatively new partnership, with Raf and Radar Love having gotten together just before this season with Paris very much in mind. Radar Love, who is competing under this shortened name in Paris due to corporate naming restrictions from the IOC, was formerly campaigned by fellow Dutch young rider Sterre van Houte, who took the horse to Junior Europeans and competed through the 3* level. Dutch Olympian Merel Blom also formerly competed the horse, giving him experience at the 4* level.
This isn’t a pair that will necessarily threaten the top of the leaderboard in the first phase, and while they’re very much still building a partnership, they do have a decent jumping record at the 4* level and will be looking to deliver a personal best performance in Paris. A second-place finish in the 4*-L at Strzegom earlier this year cemented their trip to the Olympics, which will be a first for Raf, though he does have senior championships experience as a World Championships rider in 2018 and multiple appearances at the European Championships.
Traveling Reserve: Elaine Pen and Divali (NED) | Groom: Sabine Heijn
London 2012 Olympian Elaine Pen returns this year as traveling reserve for the Dutch with the 16-year-old Divali. This pair had a couple of blips on their record in 2023, including a fall at the European Championships, but really if you can look past those, they’ve got quite a consistent record that’s mostly free of cross country jumping penalties — always a key at these Olympic Games. They’ve got two top-five or top-10 finishes in as many 4*-L starts together dating back to 2020, so they’re flush with experience should they be needed at the midnight hour to come in and save the day as a substitute.
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Clarke Johnstone and Menlo Park (NZL) | Groom: Marcus Bean
Highest-placed Kiwi at the 2016 Rio Olympics Clarke Johnstone only recently relocated back to the UK; he returned home to New Zealand in 2013, having precociously been based with Sir Mark Todd at Badgerstown. Since his return, he has been based at Aston Farm in Gloucestershire, home of Mark Phillips, and in 2022 he and Menlo Park were part of the Bronze medal winning team at the World Championships in Pratoni. Originally produced by Kevin McNab, Menlo Park was also briefly ridden by Oliver Townend, before being sold to Australia, where Tim Boland competed him for a season, though rider injury ultimately led to Clarke buying him. Together a relatively short time, theirs is already a strong partnership, finishing in the top 15 in all but one of their international starts.
Clarke, who has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago, was also part of the Bronze medal winning team at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, and he and Menlo Park finished 15th at CHIO Aachen last year, adding just a rail and cross country time faults to their dressage score. That is typical of this combination; they have only ever had cross country jumping faults on one occasion since Clarke took over the ride, and you can count on one hand the number of rails they have had in that time, too. However, this will be a somewhat bittersweet Olympics for Clarke, after the sudden death of his partner Codey Jervis last year. “Having the goal of the Olympic Games, which we were both so invested in, has kept me going the past six months, and I have poured my heart and soul into training and competing my lovely horses this year to make our goal a reality,” says Clarke. “I know he would be so proud.” Making a good result in Paris would be all the more meaningful.
Jonelle Price and Hiarado (NZL) | Groom: Rosie Thomas
This is the fourth Olympic call up for UK-based Jonelle — one half of New Zealand’s eventing power couple. Her ride here in Paris is Hiarado, a relatively new ride for the former FEI World Number 2; she only took the reins in 2022. Prior to that, this diminutive little mare was ridden by Grace Taylor, who took her all the way to 4* level. However, Jonelle has wasted no time in forming an incredibly strong partnership with the mare, and they have rarely been out of the top 20 since joining forces.
Described by her groom, Rosie Thomas as a “feisty little mare with a very big attitude”, Hiarado was seventh on her 5* debut in Pau last year, propelling Jonelle back into the big leagues after the retirement of her top two rides (Faerie Dianamo with whom she won the Luhmuhlen 5*, and Badminton winner Classic Moet) the previous year. “When you ride a horse like Hiarado, it’s pretty motivating, and I can’t wait to see what she is going to do next year,” Jonelle said of the mare after her top-10 finish at Pau last year, and it is safe to say that she has high hopes for Paris. Perhaps Jonelle can help to end the Kiwi Olympic medal drought, and repeat the Team Bronze — or better — that she contributed to as part of the team in London 2012.
Tim Price and Falco (NZL) | Groom: Kerryn Edmans
Paris marks a third Olympic call up for former FEI World Number 1 and multiple 5* winner Tim Price. His partner out here, the dinky, doughnut-loving Falco, already has a 5* title to his name, having won Pau back in 2021 as well as a Team and Individual World Championship medal from Pratoni in 2022. He was set to run at Maryland last year too, but emergency colic surgery put paid to those plans. Happily, his recovery has clearly gone without a hitch, and he is back in the spotlight once again. Although Tim has always seen the potential in this horse — “I’ve never known another horse like him” — it took a little while for his natural talent to channel itself in entirely the right way. Up util 2021, a run-out or stop cross country would not be out of the question for Falco, but he has become increasingly consistent since then, verifying Tim’s faith in him. “He has never made the same mistake twice,” says Tim — truly the best way to learn, and to get to the top. With an impeccable show jumping record, last having a rail in 2021, and a natural flair for dressage, Falco — “Mr. Nice Guy,” according to groom Kerryn Edmans — has all the ability to bring home an Olympic medal for Team New Zealand and Team Price!
Traveling Reserve: Caroline Powell and Special Cavalier (NZL) | Groom: Tristan Hudson
It barely seems feasible that this year’s Badminton winners, Caroline Powell and Special Cavalier — “Cavvy” — are heading to Paris as traveling reserve, rather than as one of the main three. Still, Caroline is thrilled to have even been selected for another Olympics: “What an honour to represent my country again. I can’t wait for the Games. It’s always a very special time.” This special mare has always shown bags of promise, finishing top 20 at the Le Lion d’Angers Seven-Year-Old Young Horse Championships in 2019. She went on to finish fifth in her first 5* at Pau in 2022, seventh at Aachen last year, and sixth at Maryland last year too. That came after an educational first run around Badminton, where she picked up an uncharacteristic 40 penalties and a whole heap of time cross country, although Caroline credits that experience to helping the mare to her victory at the event this year.
What Cavvy may lack in experience, her rider makes up for — this will be her third Olympics, having made her debut at Beijing in 2008, and contributed to the Kiwi Bronze medal at London in 2012. Both of those team appearances were with the great Lenamore, with whom she also won Burghley in 2010. We may not see Caroline and Cavvy start in Paris, but as she still is reasonably young, perhaps this will be a good warmup for LA in four years time!
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Malgorzada Korycka and Canvalencia (POL) | Groom: Aleksandra Sliwinska
After representing Poland in the 2022 World Championships and the 2021 European Championships, Malgorzata “Gosia” Korycka and Canvalencia make their Olympic debut in France. This is a very experienced pair at the 4* level, having stepped up in 2019 and logging 21 starts at the level since then, including multiple Nations Cup appearances. On a great day, this pair can earn a low-30s mark on the flat, and they’re pretty reliable on cross country as well with just a couple of blips on their record to date. Show jumping for this pair can yield a pole or two down, but they have shown their capability of jumping clear, and if Malgorzata can do what she can to get on that optimum time cross country, she’ll make a strong showing for Poland, who will be wanting to put the “what can go wrong, will” element of the Tokyo Olympics behind them this weekend. Malgorzata is part of an eventing-centric family, as she’s currently engaged to Tokyo Olympian Jan Kaminski. She and Jan operate their Stajnia Kozerki stables just outside of Poland’s capital, Warsaw.
Robert Powala and Tosca del Castegno (POL) | Groom: Chiara Fabbiani
Robert Powala makes his senior eventing squad debut for Poland this weekend with the 11-year-old Tosca del Castengo, who’s spent the entirety of her international career under his guidance. Robert will be a handy secret weapon in the final phase, having competed in World Cup competition as a show jumper previously, and for her part, his mare can also produce a clear round on the final day. This pair spent the better part of 2023 ticking off qualifications and gaining mileage in preparation for this selection, collecting three top-10 finishes at the 4* level. They haven’t historically been the quickest across the country, but they do tend to jump clear and if there’s any time to really go for that optimum time, this is it. Robert bases himself in Italy, where he also works as a riding instructor. He said that after he competed in Italy as a junior in 1986, he set a goal to one day move there, and eventually, he did.
Jan Kaminski and Jard (POL)
After a late substitution of Pawel Warszawski, Tokyo Olympian pair Jan Kaminski and Jard have stepped up to the plate. Since their last canter down the Olympic centerline, Jan and Jard (in addition to sounding like a funky band name) have represented Team Poland on several occasions in Nations Cup competition, including Pratoni, Strzegom, and Haras du Pin in 2022, Arville and Jardy in 2023, and Strzegom again this year, where they were unfortunately eliminated after a fall on course. Last year’s triumph was a win on home soil in the CCIO4*-L at Baborowko, which earned them the spot that ultimately led to this chance to contest in Paris.
While not the cleanest record overall — we do see a chance at a runout on course, and it’s more likely than not that we’ll drop at least one pole on the final day — Jard has been only improving as time passes. We’ll likely see a low- to mid-30s dressage and a handful of cross country time, but Jan’s pure show jumping experience — along with some crossed fingers for Jard to avoid the rails — may help the Polish team make up for any previous days’ delays.
Traveling Reserve: Wiktoria Knap and Quintus 134 (POL) | Groom: Michal Knap
Wiktoria Knap inches closer to her first senior championship, slotting in as the traveling reserve for the Poles with the 14-year-old Quintus 134. Wiktoria competed in Junior European Championships in 2015 and 2017, and has since featured in Nations Cup competition. With “Q”, whom she’s had since the horse was young, she’s gained a ton of experience at the 4* level. This pair has a really strong cross country record with just a couple of blips, but show jumping is — at least on paper — their nemesis when it comes to notching competitive results. With the necessity of potentially two show jumping rounds, and of course the all-important first team show jumping final round, this weakness could have factored into the selectors’ decision to keep her as a reserve. But should they get called in, particularly for cross country, they will have been preparing and crossing all their t’s to ensure they are as best-prepared as they can be if they are needed.
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Manuel Grave and Carat de Bremoy (POR) | Groom: Joachim Grave
Portugal is represented in all three equestrian sports in Paris for the first time since 1960, and Manuel Grave gets the nod in eventing with a last-minute berth due to some switcharoos in qualification. In fact, it’s been since 2004 that Portugal was represented in eventing, and it was Manuel’s father, Carlos, who was the rider at those Olympics in Athens, Greece. This weekend, Carlos will act as Manuel’s coach, making this an exceptionally special weekend for both Portugal and the Grave family. Manuel did his homework, ticking off every qualifier he could get his hands on and accumulating FEI World Ranking points that would help his cause should other individuals in his region fail to obtain their qualifiers. This is just what happened, and Manuel will tell you he was hesitant to believe that all of his hard work had paid off and earned him a trip to Paris.
Carat de Bremony came to Manuel from Duarte Seabra, who U.S. readers might recognize as a Portuguese connection to Phillip Dutton’s Tokyo partner, Z. Manuel describes the horse as not the easiest to ride, but he’s courageous and understands his job at this juncture. This pair won’t be at the top after dressage with a mid- to high-30s average, but they have proven to be fairly reliable on cross country. Show jumping could prove tricky with two rounds if Manuel finds himself in the top 25, but no matter what, a completion this weekend will be incredibly special for this rider and his home country.
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Alexander Peternell and Figaro des Premices (RSA) | Groom: Elinor Capostagno
This will be British-based Alexander’s second Olympics — he rode at London in 2012 with Asih, finishing 49th after a legal battle to get his spot at the Games, and he also competed with the horse at the 2014 World Championships, finishing 39th. His nine-year-old Figaro des Premices, or Norman, will make just his 11th FEI start this week, and it’ll be a learning one with LA on the brain. They’re putting down mid- to high-30s scores at the moment, but only have cross-country jumping penalties in one of those 10 runs — they picked up 60 penalties and retired on course at Bicton CCI4*-S in tough conditions in May, but regrouped to jump clear around Bramham’s CCI4*-S in June and Strzegom CCI4*-L — the gelding’s first run at that level — later that month. At the moment, they’re not letting the handbrake off on cross-country, and wisely so: this is a young horse with plenty to learn, and Alex is focusing on giving him exposure and an education. He’ll get that in spades in Paris, which will be his PhD in being an event horse, and it’ll be an exciting foundational milestone for all that’s to come in the future.
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Frida Andersén and Box Leo (SWE) | Groom: Cecilia Forsberg
This will be a second Olympic appearance for Frida: she started at the Rio Olympics in 2016, but sadly had to withdraw her horse, Herta, after the cross country phase. Prior to that, she had represented Sweden at several European Championships, all the way through from Ponies and Young Riders, making her Senior Team debut at the European Championships in Malmo in 2013. She was ninth individually on that occasion, helping the team win their Silver medal. She and Box Leo were part of the World Championship team in Pratoni in 2022 too, and finished best of the team in 17th place with just a rail and time faults to add to her dressage score. Sweden were sixth overall on that occasion, and took the same spot in the final standings at last year’s Europeans in Haras du Pin, where Frida and Box Leo once again finished within the top 20.
Competed up to 4* level with Ludwig Svennerstal, Frida took the reins on Box Leo in 2021, and alongside their Championship appearances, the pair have finished in the top 25 in all of their FEI starts together, including an eighth place at CHIO Aachen last year. Frida, who has degrees in both Dental Hygiene and Sport and Business, spent two years in Germany training with Frank and Sara Algotsson Otsholt before returning home to Sweden. She is now trained by her mother Annki Andersen-Gerdin, and in 2019, she moved to Boxholm to work alongside the breeder, Therese Orup, who bred Box Leo. “I like to compete and love to win, I’m a really competitive person,” she says of herself, and she will be leaving no stone unturned to achieve the best result possible fore both herself and the Swedish Team in Paris.
Louise Romeike and Caspian 15 (SWE) | Groom: Madeleine Brugman
This, too, will be a sophomore Olympic appearance for Sweden’s Louise Romeike. The darling dappled grey Caspian 15, or “Tony”, has been a rising star for Louise, and she’s produced him herself up the levels. He made the step up to the 4* level last year, ending the season with a superb 11th place finish at Boekelo on 34.5 — a finishing result which would certainly leave the pair in a fighting position against this year’s Olympic crowd. Louise was born with horses in her blood; her mother is Swedish team rider Ann-Louise Svensson, and she’s married to German eventer Claas Romeike — which makes Hinrich Romeike, 2008 Olympic Individual and Team Gold medalist, her father-in-law. Talk about a talented bunch around the dinner table! Louise and Hinrich share ownership of Tony with Dutch eventer Madeleine Brugman, who will groom for Louise in Paris.
Sofia Sjöborg and Bryjamolga van het Marienshof Z (SWE) | Groom: Danielle Graham
Sofia Sjöberg will slot in for her first Olympic Games this year for Sweden, having represented at the 2022 World Championships with this horse. This is another consistent pair for the Swedes, with a very strong cross country record coming into the Games and plenty of experience over designer Pierre Le Goupil’s tracks in the past. Sofia has the benefit of many years spent training with Olympic champion Michael Jung in Germany. She now bases full-time in the UK, where she benefits from the tutelage of Tim and Jonelle Price as well as dressage rider Laura Tomlinson. She’s also actually got some ties to the U.S. as her mother, Juliet, is American.
In terms of recent form, Sofia and “Belle” focused on 4*-S competition to ready themselves for Paris, and while their dressage scores aren’t quite competitive yet, they do have the capability to jump clear in both jumping phases. Their contribution to their first Olympic squad should be valuable based on this preparation.
Traveling Reserve: Malin Asai and Golden Midnight (SWE) | Groom: Jenny Nilsson
Another member of the Swedish World Championships squad was Malin Asai (neé Josefsson) with the 16-year-old Golden Midnight. She assisted the Swedish in their obtaining of Olympic qualification in Pratoni with a sixth place overall finish, and now she will slot in as the traveling reserve for Paris. They enjoyed a solid trip around the Luhmühlen CCI4*-S as the final prep, and should be a solid option should they be needed to help the team complete in Paris. Malin is half-Japanese and moonlights as a small animal vet, and her family also breeds German Shepherds.
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Robin Godel and Grandeur de Lully CH (SUI) | Groom: Joelle Rolle
Robin Godel is still only 16, yet he already has six Swiss National Championship titles under his belt and has represented his country more times than most riders twice his age, including at the last Olympic Games. He and Grandeur de Lully CH have been together since 2015, coming through the Young Rider ranks before becoming a firm fixture on the Swiss Senior team, too. “Grandeur and I have developed a very strong relationship,” Robin says of his 16 year old partner. “I must admit at the beginning things were not so easy — he’s a bit different! But we have built confidence in each other.” They have been on the Senior European and World Championship team since 2018, and landed their best championship placing to date at the 2022 World Championships, where they finished in 15th place. Prior to that, they had had back-to-back wins at both the test event in Pratoni and the Nations Cup in Avenches, adding just a fraction of time to their dressage score on both occasions. They have won on their last two outings this year as well, again topping the podium at the Avenches leg of the Nations Cup, and in Strzegom before that. Needless to say, they will be feeling full of confidence heading into Paris, and hopefully this Olympics will have a happier ending for Robin, who tragically lost his horse, Jet Set, after cross country in Tokyo.
Mélody Johner and Toubleu de Rueire (SUI) | Groom: Catherine Gillioz
Melódy Johner and Toubleu de Rueire return to the Olympics for their second appearance together, having represented Switzerland in Tokyo where they finished in the top 10 individually. At 17 years old, “Toubleu” has been a stalwart and consistent campaigner, with just one 20 on his entire FEI record, collected all the way back in 2017. He’s partnered with multiple riders at the top level, including a handful of trips to European Championships, and he’s going to be a superb horse to have in the upcoming test this weekend. If Melódy can secure a personal best dressage and sneak into the very low 30s or even the high 20s, she’ll be set up to make some big climbs up the leaderboard with her ability to go quick and clear across the country.
Felix Vogg and Dao de l’Ocean (SUI) | Groom: Claudia Weber
It’s an exciting time to be Felix Vogg, who brings forward a horse many fans may not recognize compared to his stalwart 5* winner, Colero. But you should be excited about this one as it’s a top choice for Paris and is certainly a threat for an individual medal this weekend. Felix trains with, among others, German Olympian Bettina Hoy, who’s detai-oriented training philosophy truly gets the most out of her students and their horses. All of this prep and diligence has yielded some serious results with this 11-year-old, including a win at the Weisbaden CCI4*-S and a second place at the Avenches leg of the FEI Nations Cup this year. Felix has been very intentional about how he’s produced this horse, pushing for time on cross country only in more important events, like Long formats, and nearly always producing a fault-free show jumping. This pair has a decent speed figure on EquiRatings as a result and will be one to watch as Felix sets out on Pierre Le Goupil’s track.
Traveling Reserve: Nadja Minder and Toblerone (SUI) | Groom: Therese Bischof Minder
As if it’s not enough that Swiss rider Nadja Minder’s partner in Paris shares his name with the iconic Swiss chocolate bar — Toblerone — his stable name is equally as sweet: “Schöggeli” translates as “chocolate”. So far, so adorable. But according to Nadja, that is where it ends: the 17-year-old Swiss Warmblood is apparently “the rascal of the barn,” getting up to mischief wherever he can. Still, you can forgive him that given his record to date. He and Nadja have come through the ranks together, competing at both Junior, Young Rider, and Senior Championships together.
Although they are the traveling reserve in Paris, they have competed at two Junior and Young Rider European teams, and made their senior debut on the 2022 World Championships Team in Pratoni. That competition did not go according to plan, with an uncharacteristic parting of ways agonizingly close to home, but they redeemed themselves at the European Championships in Haras du Pin last year, finishing 23rd individually and helping the Swiss team to fifth place. With an incredible partnership and an almost-flawless cross country record — barring that blip in Pratoni — this is just the kind of combination you would want waiting in the wings should anything go wrong for the Team.
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Boyd Martin and Fedarman B (USA) | Groom: Stephanie Simpson
It’s a very bittersweet Olympics for Boyd and his top horse, Fedarman B, who most will know by now was formerly ridden from his young years by Annie Goodwin before she passed away in a tragic riding accident in 2021. Boyd was asked by Annie’s family to take the reins on “Bruno”, and truth be told he wasn’t sure it was the right horse for him in the beginning, as he struggled to gel with the Dutch Warmblood gelding. Boyd admitted he might have moved the horse up too soon to Advanced and paid the price with some costly eliminations and penalties along the way, so he took things back a few steps and focused on establishing more trust. The time spent paid off, and after winning the 2022 Grand-Prix Eventing Festival in Aiken, there was no looking back.
Since then, Fedarman B has become one of the most consistent horses in the U.S., finishing in the top 10 in his first 5* at Luhmühlen in 2023 and (touch wood) not having a pole down in FEI competition. Boyd says he’s still yet to have the “perfect” dressage test with this horse, who still can score in the mid- to low-20s on a strong day, but he’s got an excellent not-so-secret weapon in wife Silva Martin, a Grand Prix dressage rider in her own right who spends a lot of time helping Boyd with his horses and riding them herself, as well as help on the ground from Germany’s Bettina Hoy, who was on hand in the U.S. training camp for some additional fine-tuning. Boyd also rides regularly with show jumping Olympian Peter Wylde, whose quiet way of encouraging horses to jump well has served Boyd incredibly well over recent seasons. Bruno is adjustable and rideable, which will come in handy on cross country, and they’d be ones to bet on to deliver two clear rounds on medal day.
Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake (USA) | Groom: Chloe Teahan
If you’ve ever heard anything about HSH Blake, chances are you’ve also heard the word “unicorn” alongside. Sourced as a young horse from Ireland by Caroline Pamukcu’s longtime business partner and friend Kelley Hutchinson, Blake was always a special horse for the future. Incidentally though, in his first U.S. event Caroline invited some other riders and potential owners to watch the horse, only to fall off in the show jumping! Despite the funny start, this pair has done nothing but succeed since then, steadily ticking off the boxes including traveling overseas for the Young Horse World Championships at Le Lion d’Angers, where they finished 10th, and Strzegom’s Nations Cup leg, where Team USA won Silver.
Blake’s lighter on 4* experience to be sure, having run just one 4*-L (which he won, of course), but this can actually be a boon on a team that will be able to use a young horse with fresh legs for the grueling jumping challenge. An Individual Gold medal at the 2023 Pan American Games helped to solidify Caroline’s shot at her first Olympics, and despite losing a shoe on cross country in Kentucky’s 4*-S this spring, she still managed a fast clear and a fifth-place finish to seal the deal. Caroline is a busy gal, operating a bustling import and sales business in the U.S. while also competing her long string of horses.
Elisabeth Halliday and Nutcracker (USA) | Groom: Abby Steger
[EDITOR’S NOTE: This Form Guide has been updated on 7/26 to reflect changes made to the U.S. team.]
Liz Halliday got a midnight hour call up to join the team after the late withdrawal of Will Coleman’s Diabolo. She now takes her place with Nutcracker, who wouldn’t necessarily have been our guess for her Paris horse at the beginning of the year but has proven himself to be a strong contender for the U.S. this weekend. “Bali” demonstrated his readiness by finishing just off the podium in his first 5* at Kentucky this spring. Liz is a former racecar driver who’s done races such as the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, making her a consummate athlete and competitor who knows exactly how to channel her energy into competitive success. She’ll also be a strong supporter in the wings for the U.S. team and has extensive experience in overseas and team competition to draw on for what is always a very tricky mental challenge in the role she has.
Nutcracker stands as a very competitive horse, one who’s been with Liz since his young horse years, and he’s been sensibly produced and really come into his own as he became a confirmed 4*, and now 5*, horse.
Traveling Reserve: Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire (USA) | Groom: Caitlin Martin
Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire have already had an exciting week, getting a last minute call to become the Traveling Reserve and replace Liz Halliday after she was moved to the team today. This is an exceptionally consistent pair who will be a solid reserve pair should the U.S. require a substitute at any point in time. Sydney and “Q” were members of the silver medal team at the 2023 Pan American Games and have spent the last few seasons benefitting from competition abroad, including a top 20 finish at Luhmühlen and an 8th place finish at Kentucky’s 5* in 2023.
Sydney will be well-prepared for the rollercoaster that is being the Traveling Reserve, having come over with the team to training camp to participate and be ready at a moment’s notice. That moment’s notice came Friday morning just before the horse inspection, which meant QC Diamantaire would have needed to be trailered over to the venue in time for the jog. Sydney’s a real down to earth human who truly deserves her shot on this squad, and the consistency she has demonstrated with this horse owned by longtime supporter Carol Stephens should not be understated.
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