Which horse is the baby of the field? Who’s been to the Olympics the most, and who is here for the first time? Keep reading to learn all the stats and facts about the horses and riders of your 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Forever Young Wundermaske | 21-year-old Oldenburg Gelding Weltbekannt – Deer Rose, by Deerhound | Ridden by Ronald Zabala Goetschel (ECU) | Owned by the rider, Fernando Villacis, & Fabian Zabala
Figaro des Premices | Nine-year-old SCSL (Studbook du Cheval de Selle Luxembourgeois) Gelding (Quidam de Revel – Acapela de Kreisker, by Felton du Mont) | Ridden by Alexander Peternell (RSA) | Owned by the rider
HSH Blake | Nine-year-old Irish Sporthorse Gelding (Tolan R – Doughiska Lass, by Kannan) | Ridden by Caroline Pamukcu (USA) | Owned by Mollie Hoff, Sherrie Martin, Deniz Pamukcu, & the rider
STALLIONS: 1
MARES: 20
GELDINGS: 60
There are 21 different breeds represented at the Olympics, with Selle Français (fittingly for our host country) being the most common breed at 14 horses (17.3%).
The horses in our field represent 15 different countries of origin, with German breeding being the most prevalent at 16 horses (19.8%).
15 horses share sires, with Diarado being the most common:
- HSH Blake (Tolan R – Doughiska Lass, by Kannan) & Nutcracker (Tolan R – Ballyshan Cleopatra, by Cobra)
- Figaro des Premices (Quidam de Revel – Acapela de Kreisker, by Felton du Mont) & Champ de Tailleur (Quidam de Revel – Vera, by Oberon du Moulin)
- El Mundo (Numero Uno – Calvaro’s Bria Z, by Calvaro Z) & Nickel 21 (Numero Uno – Orchidee V, by Lorentin)
- Box Leo (Jaguar Mail – Box Qutie, by Quite Easy) & Colorado Blue (Jaguar Mail – Rock Me Baby, by Rock King)
- Dia van het Lichterveld Z (Diamant de Semilly – Gini Ten Hunsel, by Canadian River) & Viamant du Matz (Diamant de Semilly – Heralina x, by Voltigeur le Malin x)
- Off The Record (Arkansas VDL – Drumagoland Bay, by Ard Ohio) & Hot Bobo (Arkansas VDL – Taneys Leader, by Supreme Leader)
- Radar Love (Diarado – Raffaela, by Claudio’s Son), Hiarado (Diarado – Ubiloa, by Ekstein), & JL Dublin (Diarado – Zarinna, by Canto)
31 riders (38.3%) in the field are first-time Olympic contenders:
- Malin Asai (SWE)
- Esteban Benitez Valle (ESP)
- Susie Berry (IRL)
- Evelina Bertoli (ITA)
- Sanne de Jong (NED)
- Carlos Diaz Fernandez (ESP)
- Cyril Gavrilovic (BEL)
- Manuel Grave (POR)
- Elisabeth Halliday (USA)
- Yasmin Ingham (GBR)
- Balázs Kaizinger (HUN)
- Wiktoria Knap (POL)
- Raf Kooremans (NED)
- Malgorzada Korycka (POL)
- Stéphane Landois (FRA)
- Gireg le Coz (FRA)
- Shenae Lowings (AUS)
- Tine Magnus (BEL)
- Veera Manninen (FIN)
- Nadja Minder (SUI)
- Caroline Pamukcu (USA)
- Emiliano Portale (ITA)
- Robert Powala (POL)
- Pietro Sandei (ITA)
- Sanna Siltakorpi (FIN)
- Sofia Sjöborg (SWE)
- Noor Slaoui (MAR)
- Karl Slezak (CAN)
- Giovanni Ugolotti (ITA)
- Christoph Wahler (GER)
- Pawel Warszawski (POL)
50 riders (61.7%) have ridden in prior Olympics.
MOST OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE:
- Karin Donckers (BEL) | Tokyo 2020, Rio 2016, London 2012, Beijing 2008, Athens 2004, Sydney 2000, & Barcelona 1992
16 horses (19.8%) have participated in prior Olympics, all at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
TOKYO 2020 CONTENDERS:
- Altier d’Aurois
- Champ de Tailleur
- Chipmunk FRH
- Colorado Blue
- Don Quidam
- DSP Fighting Line
- Fascination
- Ferreolus Lat
- Lady Chin V’t Moerven Z
- London 52
- Shutterflyke
- Toubleu de Rueire
- Triton Fontaine
- Viamant du Matz
- Vinci de la Vigne
- Virgil
Only 2 riders in the field have won the individual Gold medal at previous Olympics:
- Julia Krajewski (Tokyo 2020, Amande de B’Neville)
- Michael Jung (2016 Rio de Janeiro & 2012 London, Sam)
Only 3 horses in the field have won previous World or European Championships:
- JL Dublin & *previous rider Nicola Wilson (2021 European Champion, Avenches)
- Banzai du Loir & Yasmin Ingham (2022 World Champion, Pratoni del Vivaro)
- Lordships Graffalo & Rosalind Canter (2023 European Champion, Le Pin au Haras)
