Carl Hester has trained and ridden some of the greatest dressage horses in the world. But when asked about the horse of his lifetime – in a feature for Horse & Hound magazine (on sale Thursday 3 July, 2025) and guest edited by eventing star Laura Collett – he doesn’t hesitate: it’s his Olympic team gold medal-winning partner, Uthopia.
The “small, athletic, happy horse” was originally bought for one of Carl’s friends in Ireland before finding his way into Carl’s yard. “I remember he bucked her off, jumped a big hedge and disappeared into the distance!” Carl laughs.
“It’s not his normal character, but when he gets excited – and it’s very rare – he turns into a Ferrari.”
Despite that dramatic first impression, Uthopia quickly proved himself not only talented but a horse with a bright, positive outlook.
Carl Hester on Uthopia: “He was born to do the job”
“He likes people, likes horses, he’s very friendly. It suits him to be where lots is going on,” Carl says.
Laura notes that she had wondered whether Carl might choose Valegro, even though he didn’t compete him at his peak. But for Carl, Uthopia is special because of what his achievements meant to him.
“He was born to do the job, he understood the work easily, and he was an extraordinary mover,” Carl says.
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“Early on, I had to learn to sit with him, he had such power, such a big engine; he rode two hands higher. Getting him balanced was the key.”
Carl remembers his first 80% at Fritzens in Austria in 2011, when he won the grand prix special. “There are very few tests you look at and can be entirely satisfied,” he explains. “That’s what dressage is about, trying to achieve 10s in everything you do.”
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After winning the grand prix at the 2011 European Championships, Carl recalls the commentator saying, “He’s an extremely inexperienced horse, and he’s made this look like a walk in the park.”
By the time London 2012 arrived, Uthopia’s steady temperament gave Carl confidence. He never had to worry about the atmosphere, cheering crowds or standing still – “all those tiny details that matter,” Carl adds.
“The team gold was historic, and a first for us all,” he explains. “The grand prix was always his best test; it had all those extended trots he’s famous for,” he adds, remembering the seven perfect 10s for it at the 2011 Europeans as “a joyous moment that showed the world what he was.”
Now 24, Uthopia still has that same positive outlook every day.
“His is the first stable I pass, next to Valegro,” Carl says. “They travelled the world and won medals together. It’s a fitting end.”
What this horse did for Carl was profound.
“In 2012, I’d already been competing for years, trying to build up a team, to win medals,” Carl explains. “And the fact he won me gold and two silvers at the Europeans and gold at the Olympics put my mind at ease: if no success happens ever again, it won’t matter. He gave me peace.”
– To read the full feature, including insights from Ruby Walsh, Nick Skelton and Pippa Funnell, pick up Horse & Hound magazine, guest edited by Laura Collett, available in shops from 3 July, 2025 –
Do you have a special memory of Uthopia that you’d like to share with other H&H readers? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com including your name, nearest town and county for the chance to have it published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine – plus don’t miss further tributes to Valegro and Uthopia in 11 December issue
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Oscar joined Horse & Hound in October 2023 and is the magazine’s dressage editor and sports manager, overseeing coverage of equestrian sport. After studying equine science at Myerscough College, he spent four years working for leading dressage rider Emile Faurie, competing at the 2015 National Dressage Championships and travelling with the yard to CDIs including Aachen and Saumur. He holds a master’s degree in Literature from York St John University (2021).
