Big Star injured, again!
Nick Skelton had to forfeit for the important indoors of Geneva and London. His Olympic Champion stallion Big Star suffered a small injury at his fetlock. Nothing serious, but the competition program of 2016 has to be scratched. Skelton, who hoped to start his Rolex Grand Slam in Geneva, now hopes to be ready next summer in July for the Aachen Grand Prix, which he won in 2013. If he can copy that result and he does the same in Calgary and Geneva next year, then he steps in the footsteps of his compatriot Scott Brash to win the prestigious Rolex Grand Slam, which is his main goal for the rest of his career. (Press realease CSI5* Geneva)
Casall to retire in 2017!
The legendary stallion Casall ASK (left) will retire from the sport with his own goodbye Tour. In December this tour will start in Geneva. It goes on in Basel or Zürich in January, to continue in Gothenburg in February and to finally end up in Hamburg in May. There he’ll jump his last competition in front of the German public in Holstein, where Casall will be standing for breeding for the rest of his life. Aged 17 springs old, Casall is in top form. At the beginning of this month the Caretino-son won the Longines Global Champions Tour Final in Doha. He and rider Rolf-Göran Bengtsson jumped together many victories. This year they also won the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Valkenswaard and Paris. The sire has 87 approved sons. On the WBFSH-ranking, Casall is placed fourth. In the GCT GP of Rome, he jumped off against three of his sons. Most famous offspring: Casello, Casall, Casallo Z, Powerplay, Chesall, Cristallo, Caracas and Alicante.
Onassis pays record number for Olympic horse Going Global
Ireland’s Olympic show jumping rider Greg Broderick has confirmed the sale of his Olympic horse, MHS Going Global (Quidam Junior I). Broderick and the 10-year-old Irish sporthorse just had an almost perfect 2016 season behind them. The combination represented Ireland at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Further they were a part of the winning Nations Cup team at the CSIO5* Sankt Gallen. Broderick and MHS Going Global 
also placed fourth in that same Longines Grand Prix. In August the pair made it a double clear finish in the Dublin CSIO Nations Cup, giving Ireland a second place. After the Games, Greg and Going Global jumped to a sixth place at the prestigious CN International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows. The horse is now sold via Jan Tops to Athina Onassis. Going Global is said to be one of the most expensive show jumpers in history. On his Facebook page, former rider Greg Broderick states: “He has given my family, friends, owners and the Irish horse world something to be very proud of and thank you to everyone who has been supportive of us along the way. He was part of the family here at Ballypatrick and like a best friend to me. He will be hugely missed but it was a logical decision to sell him in the height of his career. I’d like to wish his new owner Athina Onassis all the luck with him and a big thank you to Lee Kruger for the opportunity to ride this great horse.”
New horse for Daniel Bluman
The Columbian rider Daniel Bluman (right) has a new horse in his stable. The Swiss investor William Schwizer, also owner of his top stallion Apardi, bought the horse Ladriano Z of Bluman’s nephew Ilan Bluman. Daniel will debute with this horse during the Winter Equestrian Festival. With Ilan Bluman, Ladriano Z jumped to several top three placings in Harrisburg. In Lexington they won at 1.50m and 1.60m level. (Source: GP-replay.fr)
Former World Champion Liscalgot died at 25
Dermott Lennon’s (left) mare Liscalgot has died at the age of 25. The mare won two important gold medals during her career. It all started in Arnhem on the European Championship in 2001, where she won team gold with the Irish. One year later in Jerez de la Frontera her rider was honored with the individual title at the World Equestrian Games, which made this pair immortal. The mare will also be remembered as an important broodmare. After her career she’s been used for embryo transfer in Belgium. Her eldest son Calgot’s Pleasure (For Pleasure) also is acting on the five star level with Dermott Lennon. (WoSJ)
Gregory Wathelet buys back Championship horse Forlap
The Belgian top rider Gregory Wathelet is reunited with his former Belgian Champion Forlap DC (Querlybet Hero). The gelding was sold to Aleksandr Onyshchenko after his great breakthrough in 2014, but because of different circumstances, Wathelet now had the chance to get his horse back after two years. Forlap was nine when he was sold to Onyshchenko via Stephex Stables. Now he is eleven. René Tebbel placed fifth with this horse in the GCT final in Doha last year, but it wasn’t always as good as that. Forlap stopped a few times in the important GP’s. Wathelet knows the situation. ‘Forlap has always been a horse with special qualities, but also a special character. You cannot force the horse to do something.’ For sure Forlap will not move anymore now. He will stay at Wathelet’s until the end of his days. ‘I’m happy this horse is back. He will always be remembered as the horse that brought me my first individual title. I hope that he can stand next to my current top horses Coree and Eldorado in 2017.’ With Eldorado, Gregory Wathelet win the Longines Masters in Paris last Sunday.
Giovanni van ’t Scheefkasteel for Jerome Guery
The Belgian top rider Jerome Guery (left) has a new GP horse in his barn. He recently got the ride of the chestnut stallion Giovanni van ’t Scheefkasteel (Darco). With Pius Schwizer this scopy Belgian horse was part of the Swiss Nations Cup team several times. Giovanni’s dam sire Perhaps is also the father of Guery’s top horse Papillon Z. Perhaps was a son of Atlanta Olympic Champion Jus de Pomme of Ullrich Kirchhoff. He didn’t cover a lot of mares, but produced several GP horses.
Lisa Nooren out for the rest of the year
For the very gifted Dutch Young Rider Lisa Nooren (right) the 2016 show jumping season is over. About six weeks ago, Lisa Nooren broke her colarbone, although she hoped to be back in the saddle before the end of this year, Nooren has now been informed by the doctor that her sportive career will start again earliest 2017. Nevertheless the Dutch young rider remains optimistic. “Although I cannot ride horses, I just try to do my part with one arm. I also like to thank my colleagues, friends and family for an amazing season,” writes Nooren on her facebook. “I cannot wait until I’m back in the ring in 2017,” she concludes.
Stany Van Paesschen to train Iran team
The three-time Olympic show jumping rider Stany van Paesschen (left) has accepted a new position as chef d’equipe of the Iranian showjumping team. The contract runs until the Asian Games, held in 2018. Stany won the Olympic Bronze medal in Canada in 1976. During the Olympic Games in 2004 in Athens Constant van Paesschen’s father placed sixth. Not that long ago, Van Paesschen was the chef d’equipe of the Saoudi-Arabia showjumping team. Van Paesschen guided Abdullah Al Sharbatly to the individual silver medal at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington in 2010. The team also won bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Fine Fleur to Switzerland
All horses of the Ukrainian business man Aleksandr Onyshchenko have been sold due to a running case. Casio Rivetti, who decided to take the Brazilian nationality again, sees his best mare Fine Fleur du Marais leave to Switzerland. Casio Rivetti competed for the Ukrainian team at the Olympics with this 11-year old Belgian daughter of Toulon. After that, Rivetti broke his leg at the Stephex Masters in Brussels and while he’s rehabilitating he has to say goodbye to his best mare. The new owner of Fine Fleur is the father of the Swiss lady rider Flaminia Straumann. He bought the mare for the 62-year old former Olympic rider Walter Gabathuler (right), who plans a comeback in top sport after 25 years of absence. Gabathuler hopes to have reached its former level at the CSI5* competition of Basel.
Global Champions Tour goes over Great Britain again, but scratches Belgium
After one year of absence, the Global Champions Tour will have a stop in London again. A spectacular new destination joins the Longines Global Champions Tour circuit in 2017 with a prestigious event at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in the heart of London. The beautiful and historic grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea will host the event from 3rd – 6th August. As a result, Antwerp looses the GCT support. The show will still exist, but will change a lot. Jumping Antwerp will stay a CSI5* event, but moves to another location near the Schelde river in Belgium. Furthermore it will introduce the Jumping Clash formule in its program. The Jumping Clash is a knock-our formula over several days, which was launched in Madrid last week.