The Irish Sport Horse stallion Cruising may be best known for his prolific contribution to the breed, readily apparent in the pedigrees of top ISH eventers and show jumpers around the world.
From 2012 FEI World Cup Champion jumper Flexible, whose longevity was on display earlier this month at the 2016 World Cup Final where at age 20 he was the oldest horse competing, to eventing virtuosos like Mr. Medicott, the highest-placed U.S. horse at the London 2012 Olympics with Karen O’Connor, Cruising left a legacy of athleticism and mental/physical toughness in his offspring.
In addition to being a hugely influential stallion he was a successful show jumper who with Trevor Coyle in the irons represented his country on several Nations Cup teams. This video captures one of his great performances, a clear round at the 1999 World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Cruising passed away in 2014 at age 29, at his home Hartwell Stud in Co. Kildare, Ireland. It later emerged that two clones, Cruising Arish and Cruising Encore, were born at Hartwell Stud and would be available for breeding — and the legacy lives on.
Go Cruising.
