Robert Smith’s top ride Talan has been sold to Saudi Arabia ahead of the Olympics.
At midnight on 31 December, the deadline for a horse to change hands and be allowed to compete for another nation in London this summer passed.
And it was revealed that Saudi Arabia made an eleventh-hour purchase of Talan.
The horse will be ridden by HH Prince Faisal.
British showjumping team’s chef d’equipe Rob Hoekstra confirmed the sale to H&H, adding: “The Saudi Arabians have been trying to get their hands on our horses for a while”.
The Saudi team – along with Jordan – have just earned the final qualifying places at the 2012 Olympics after winning gold at the Pan-Arab games in December.
For more on this story read Thursday’s issue of H&H (5 January).
