A clone of legendary showjumper Arko III has been born in the US, seven months after the stallion’s death.

The foal, who arrived in August, is the result of a combined effort by UK-based genetic preservation company, Gemini Genetics, and partner ViaGen Pets and Equine in the US.

“It was an extremely sad day for our family when we lost Arko, he was truly a horse of a lifetime,” said a joint statement from Pat, John and Lisa Hales, of Shaw Farm Stud, owners of Arko and his clone.

“The birth of his clone was very emotional. We believe it is not only exciting for our sport worldwide, but especially for the future of British breeding for years to come. We look forward to breeding many more champions from this wonderful bloodline.”

The clone was generated from a small skin sample from Arko, genetically preserved by Gemini Genetics, the sister company to Stallion AI Services. The sample was then shipped to ViaGen Pets & Equine in the US.

Gemini Genetics manager Lucy Morgan, who undertook the preservation, told H&H the clone will remain at ViaGen’s facility in the US until he is weaned, at the earliest.

She added plans for what his future may hold in terms of competition have not been decided yet, but stressed the main intention is for him to be a breeding sire.

“We are thrilled at the successful birth of Arko’s clone,” she added. “A much-loved stallion in terms of his outstanding performances and his unique and full of life character, it is brilliant to have enabled his cloning so that his outstanding legacy can continue. Gemini Genetics are thrilled and highly privileged to have facilitated this amazing revival of Arko III via his genetic twin.”

Ms Morgan clarified there is no issue surrounding the quality or availability of Arko’s semen, rather the decision to clone was about taking the opportunity to preserve his genetics for the future.

“There is plenty of semen left in reserve, but you would never be able to breed another Arko with the exact same genetics [other than by cloning], as 50% of the DNA would be different,” she said.

The original Arko (Argentinius x Beach Boy) won grands prix across the globe with rider, Nick Skelton. The pair finished 10th individually at the 2004 Athens Olympics and represented Britain at the 2005 European Championships. Arko was also the horse Nick credited with getting him back in the saddle after he broke his neck in a riding accident in 2000.

Their numerous victories included the sport’s richest prize, the CN International at Spruce Meadows. Arko won the leading British showjumper of the year title on five occasions, before stepping down from competition in 2008. He retired from stud in 2019 and died in January 2021.

His off-spring include John Whitaker’s current stable star, Argento, as well as the Hales family’s SFS Aristo.

Blake Russell, president of ViaGen Pets & Equine, said the company has delivered more than 1,000 “healthy, cloned foals” to clients and “each project is truly special”.

“The ability to play a part in reproducing a phenomenal genotype like Arko III is what makes our effort worthwhile,” he said.

“We are very excited to see him grow and develop and make his footprint on the industry. It is a real pleasure to collaborate with great partners like Gemini Genetics and their sister company, Stallion AI Services, to help bring our services to clients around the globe.

“The relationships that we have developed with partners like Gemini Genetics are what make this venture work for everyone. I hope all can see that cloning technology is a powerful advanced reproductive technology that can bring great opportunity.”

Tullis Matson, founder and director of Stallion AI Services, added it has “been a privilege” working with Arko and the Hales family for almost 10 years of the stallion’s life.

“We are thrilled at the news of the successful birth of his clone and are privileged to have been involved in this project via our sister company, Gemini Genetics,” he said.

“We look forward to the coming years of his clone, [and the benefits he will bring] to the performance industry and the breeding sector.”

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“I feel incredibly honoured to be able to do this. I absolutely love it”

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The long-term owner of legendary showjumping stallion Arko III has paid tribute to the much-loved “Brad Pitt of showjumping”, whom it was a “privilege to own”

Nick Skelton’s Athens Olympic ride died yesterday (20 January) aged 27, at the home of his owners the Hales family.

Lisa Hales told H&H today they had always said they would do right by him, and let him go when the time came.

“He owed us absolutely nothing and we owed him everything,” she said.

Lisa remembered the way her family came to own Arko; Nick had flown to Germany to try him, and liked him straight away, then on his return to the Sunshine Tour, bumped into Lisa and showed her the video.

“I thought ‘wow’,” Lisa said. “It all went from there. Nick flew back to England, met my dad and the vet, they all flew back to Germany and bought him.

“You always dream and hope to have a horse who will go to all the big places; he was everything we hoped, and probably 1,000% more.”

Lisa remembered the experience of the 2004 Athens Olympics, when Nick and Arko jumped clear until the final round, coming so close to a medal, as “unreal”.

“But probably his best ever achievement, for me, was that he jumped the grand prix at Spruce Meadows, the richest one in the world, three times and never had a fence down,” she said.

“The first time, he had a time-fault, the second time he came second, and the third time he won it. You dream of going to those places, and to do what he did was more than we could ever have asked for.”

Arko went to stud after his retirement from the ring in 2008. For some years he stood in Belgium, as neither British breeding nor breeding technology was what it is today.

“Then, four or five years ago, I said ‘That’s enough now’,” Lisa said. “I didn’t want him travelling any more, and the technology had improved, so we stood him in the UK.”

Arko then shared his time between the Hales’ Shaw Farm Stud and Stallion AI Services, until he retired from stud with a fitting party in autumn 2019.

“He was ridden every day, right up until he was 25,” said Lisa. “He’d hack out and go round the canter track, went out in the field; he did a bit of everything.

“It didn’t matter where he went or what he was doing, everyone loved him. He was one of those characters, and he was so lovely to look at.”

Lisa described Arko as a cheeky character, who knew exactly what he could get away with, and never quite put a toe over the line.“

He was the naughtiest to turn out; he’d be jumping and half standing up, and if he’d been any other stallion, Amy who works for me would say ‘I’m not doing it’ but because it was him, she knew how far he’d go; he knew how far he could push his luck and wouldn’t go any further,” Lisa said, adding that Arko knew just how good-looking he was.

“He knew he was the Brad Pitt of showjumping; when he came back from stud, he’d walk on to the yard as if to say to the younger boys ‘All right now lads, quieten down, I’m back so you’d better put yourselves back in your box because I’m the main man.’”

The Hales family is heartbroken to lose Arko but takes some comfort from his offspring, including SFS Aristio, the ride of Ireland’s Anthony Condon.

Continues below…

‘Fly high, big man’: legendary showjumping stallion Arko dies aged 27

Cake, Polos and prosecco — everything an Olympic stallion needs at his retirement party

There ain’t no party like an Arko party...

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“Some stallions are very good in the ring, but not good breeding stallions; they have to prove themselves again, that they can produce offspring that jump at the top level and he did that,” she said, citing John Whitaker’s top ride Argento in particular as one of Arko’s top-class sons.

“Lots of people have said they’d have liked to put their mares to him and it’s too late now but it’s not; we’ve still got some semen from him. It’s not for the money but it would be nice for people to use him; it will keep him going for a few more years and we take comfort in that.

“As a family, we’d say it was a privilege to own him. He did everything we ever wanted and more, and we can’t thank him enough.”

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Yesterday (20 January), we learnt of the sad news that legendary showjumping stallion Arko III died at the age of 27.

During his illustrious career, Arko amassed over £1.2m in prize money for owners John and Lisa Hales, under Nick Skelton. He represented Great Britain at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2005 European Championships, and until his retirement to stud in 2008, won top-class grands prix across the globe, including the world’s richest class, the CN International at Spruce Meadows, and jumped numerous Nations Cup double clears.

Here we take a look back at the career of this remarkable horse and all that he achieved…

Arko with Nick after the stallions’s retirement from competition

Jumping in the Samsung Super League in 2008

The Samsung Super League winning British team. From left to right: Peter Charles and Murka’s Rupert R, Arko and Nick, Tim Gredley and Omelli and Robert Smith and Vangelis S with David Broome.

Arko and Nick en-route to third in the Grand Prix Longines in La Baule in 2008.

Nick and Arko during the jump-off in the San Patrignano CSI European Championship in San Patrignano, Italy in 2005

Nick and Arko jumping at the 2004 Athens Olympics

Nick Skelton on Arko, Jeanette Brakewell (right) and Nicola Mcgiven (left) as part of a Horse & Hound photo call

Nick rides Arko in the Grand Finale at the Horse of the Year Show in 2013 after his retirement.

Arko displaying his incredible technique.

Nick and Arko jumping in the CN CSIO Masters International in Spruce Meadows in 2004.

Nick and Arko jumping at Dublin Horse Show.

Arko at stud at Stallion AI.

Arko is presented with gifts upon his retirement from stud in 2019.

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

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The legendary showjumping stallion Arko III has died at the age of 27.

The son of Argentinius, who with Nick Skelton represented Britain at the 2004 Athens Olympics (pictured) and the 2005 European Championships, died today (20 January) at Shaw Farm Stud, home of his long-term owners the Hales family.

Nick and Arko won top-class grands prix across the globe, including the world’s richest class, the CN International at Spruce Meadows, and jumped numerous Nations Cup double clears. He won £1.2m before his retirement from the sport in 2008.

Nick has always credited Arko as the horse who brought him back into the sport after he broke his neck in a riding accident.

He told H&H: “Arko was a great horse for me and won some of the great grands prix of the world.

“But most of all he was the one that got me back riding again after I was told I would never ride again and that I will be for ever grateful to him for. He was a great character as well, always happy in the yard, and watched everything that was going on.

“I’m glad he had a long and happy retirement.”

Lisa Hales said today was the saddest the stud had known.

“We have so much to thank him for, he really was a horse of a lifetime,” she said.

“At the moment all our hearts are broken but we have so many happy memories. Fly high, big man, you will live on in your offspring.”

Continues below.

Cake, Polos and prosecco — everything an Olympic stallion needs at his retirement party

There ain’t no party like an Arko party...

Clones, rare breeds and Olympic champions: take a look round Stallion AI Services

Stallion AI Services in Shropshire is the UK’s largest semen collection and distribution centre, standing a number of top sport

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Arko has sired top-class progeny including John Whitaker’s top ride Argento and the Hales family’s SFS Aristo, who has enjoyed much success with Ireland’s Anthony Condon.

Arko retired from stud in autumn 2019, aged 25, an occasion marked by a party, prosecco, cake and balloons.

“He has so many fans and he’s been an absolute pleasure to have on the yard,” said the stud’s Katie Norris at the time.

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

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Nick Skelton’s Olympic showjumper Arko III has this week retired from stud at the age of 25.

But there was no chance the much-loved bay stallion would be sloping off quietly to the green fields of the Hales family’s Shaw Farm Stud. Oh no, after 20 years on the job, first it was time for a proper send-off.

As the video shows, Arko tucked into a spectacular mint-garnished cake cooked up by the yard’s head groom Anna Holland, received a special farewell card and there were balloons, polos, crisps, prosecco — “and lots of cuddles and kisses” — at his “retiring from stud” party hosted by his friends at Stallion AI Services in Shropshire, where he was also joined by his owners, Pat and Lisa Hales.

“He has so many fans and he’s been an absolute pleasure to have on the yard,” said the stud’s Katie Norris.

The son of Argentinus, out of the top showjumping mare Unika (by Beach Boy), won well over £1,000,000 in a glittering career with Nick Skelton before retiring from the sport in 2008.

The pair represented Great Britain at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2005 European Championships. They jumped double clear on Nations Cups teams, as well as winning the grands prix of Lucerne, Estoril and Rome before giving Nick his fourth victory in the world’s richest class, the CN International at Spruce Meadows in 2008. Nick credits Arko for bringing him back to the sport after he broke his neck in a riding accident.

Arko’s career at stud has proved equally fruitful. Over two decades, he has sired many high-performing progeny including John Whitaker’s top ride Argento; SFS Aristio, who is owned by the Hales family and competes under Irish rider Anthony Condon, and Shark, who was bred by Sue Welch out of another of Nick Skelton’s leading rides Showtime and jumped at five-star level with Rowan Willis.

This week, Arko returned to the home of his owner, Lisa Hales, but frozen semen remains available from Stallion AI Services.

We all wish you a very happy retirement, Arko!

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

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Stallion AI Services near Whitchurch, Shropshire, is the UK’s largest semen collection and distribution centre, standing a number of top sport and rare breed stallions. Founder and managing director Tullis Matson gives H&H a tour around the centre’s stunning new facilities

Don’t miss our full interview with Tullis Matson in today’s special breeding issue of Horse & Hound magazine (5 April 2018)

The Stallion AI team pictured here with Suffolk stallion Craikhow Hall Jenson

The bright, spacious collection area features a fully rubberised floor, as well as secure stables for the ‘teaser’ mares. Here, the Olympic stallion and prolific sire Jaguar Mail is in action.

On arrival at the centre each stallion is allocated his own headcollar, bandages, boots and grooming kit, as well as specific collection coats for his handler and his semen collector.

Among the new facilities at Chapel Field Stud is a 54ft horse walker with rubberised floors and CCTV. “It’s important to ensure the stallions have as normal a life as possible so they all go out each day,” says managing director Tullis Matson.

As the UK’s largest equine frozen semen storage centre, Stallion AI is home to more than 1.4million straws of semen, stored at -196 degrees in nitrogen tanks, all colour coded. The centre has collected semen from over 1200 stallions of 47 different breeds.

The centre is home to Murka’s Gem, a seven-year-old genetic clone of the legendary showjumper Gem Twist

The stud’s state-of-the-art laboratory allows the stud to stay at the forefront of technology, developing advanced freezing techniques as well as pioneering work in areas such as epididymal sperm extraction — harvesting sperm cells after castration, or if a stallion has had to be put down suddenly.

The yard and paddocks are fitted with extensive CCTV, with a camera in every stable allowing centre staff and stallion owners to keep tabs on their horses 24 hours a day via ‘Stalcam’.

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Much-loved British show jumper Arko III is to be retired at the end of the year, H&H exclusively reveals today (Thursday, 9 October).

Owned by John Hales and his daughter Lisa, Arko is set to be retired at Olympia in December and will then stand at stud.

Lisa said: “It’s been a complete privilege to own Arko — we never dreamed he would be so successful. It’s lovely to retire him while he’s still jumping against the very best at the very top.”

Nick Skelton, who partnered the stallion, told H&H that Arko was his “best ever” ride.

He added: “I knew he was world class the first time I sat on him. He’s jumping the best now that he’s ever jumped. But Lisa [Hales] wants him to go to stud and thinks it’s the best time to retire him.”

Arko — who was a member of the GB winning Nations Cup team at Dublin Horse Show earlier this year — took his career earnings to more than £1million after winning the grand prix in Calgary, Canada, in September.

During his career the popular 14-year-old also won the Dubai Classic, the Rome, Lucerne and Cannes grands prix and the Estoril Global Champions tour grand prix.

In 2006 the 16.1hh bay stallion tore a ligament near his navicular bone and took 10 months to rest. Although he returned in good form Arko was withdrawn from 2008 Olympic contention on veterinary advice.

Arko photo gallery

• The Hales-family owned Russel, Nick Skelton’s ride in the 2008 Olympics, has also been retired. For more on both these stories, plus Graham Fletcher’s exclusive interview with Nick Skelton, don’t miss this Thursday’s (9 October) H&H.

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Arko III, one of Britain’s top show jumping hopes for this year’s Olympic Games, has been withdrawn from selection.

The decision to withdraw Arko from Olympic selection was made following discussions with his owners, the Hales family; British team management and his rider, Nick Skelton.

British show jumping performance manager Derek Ricketts: “Taking into account both Arko’s stud duties and veterinary advice, we agreed that it wouldn’t be fair to target him for the Olympic Games.

“Obviously this was not an easy decision, but one we felt would be in Arko’s best interests”

He added that Nick and Arko will still be available for Super League Selection during 2008.

Arko and Nick Skelton finished equal 10th at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

But Lisa and John Hales’s stallion suffered a run of bad form during the selection process for the World Equestrian Games in 2006. He was withdrawn from selection just two weeks before the Games, and hailed as Britain’s best medal hope.

A few weeks later, it was announced that Arko’s lack of form was due to possible discomfort when jumping and was given eight months off work with problems in the coffin joint of his near fore.

He returned to competition in Mauberge, France in May 2007. At the time, Nick Skelton told H&H he was delighted to “have the horse back”.

The British Show Jumping Association (BSJA) made the announcement this afternoon.

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While they swap hands for millions of euros, Britain’s top sport horses rarely earn a fortune. Nevertheless, Horse & Hound this week publishes a list of the top-earning horses in the period 2006-2007.

The top three are:

• Arko, partnered by Nick Skelton, the Hales’ family’s show jumper earned £385,407 in the last two years
• Insul Tech Mozart Des Hayettes, partnered by owner Michael Whitaker, the horse won £184,279
• Lacroix 9, partnered by 24-year-old Robert Whitaker, his mother, Claire’s gelding, earned £176,661

The list totals seven show jumpers and three eventers, but no dressage horses. The top-earning eventer was Headley Britannia who won £111,000 largely thanks to her back-to-back Burghley 2006 and Badminton 2007 wins.

To read Paula Minchin’s full feature don’t miss today’s Horse & Hound, on sale Thursday 17 January

Arko III has been crowned KBIS British Equestrian Insurance Show Jumper of the Year for an unprecedented fourth year.

The stallion, ridden by Nick Skelton and owned by John and Lisa Hales, is currently number one in British Show Jumping Association rankings.

Oliver Townend’s European team ride, Flint Curtis, was named KBIS British Equestrian Insurance Event Horse of the Year.

The grey, owned by Edward and Robert Nicholson, secured the title after a consistently good year, including a first at Thirlestane Castle, second at Chatsworth and second at Punchestown CCI***, as well as a team gold medal at Pratoni.

The KBIS British Equestrian Insurance Dressage Horse of the Year went to Mr President, owned and ridden by Steph Croxford.

This 13-year-old chestnut gelding was originally bred in Ireland by an unknown Gelderlander-Hackney stallion out of a Dutch Warmblood mare.

All three horses received their awards at Olympia, the London International Horse Show.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (28 December, ’07)

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Arko III is back on the British team, for the first time since his injury last summer.

Nick Skelton will be partnering the bay stallion, owned by the Hales family, in the Samsung Super League in St Gallen today.

Nick and Arko will be the first to jump, followed by William Funnell and Cortaflex Mondriaan, Tim Stockdale and Fresh Direct Corlato and John Whitaker with Peppermill.

While walking the course for another class in St Gallen, Nick Skelton told H&H the horse is back on form.

“Arko went really well last week, so we’ll see how he goes today,” he said.

When asked whether Olympic qualification was at the back of his mind, Nick said he was “taking it day by day”.

“It’s great to have Arko back though,” he added.

Last week’s sensational victory in Rome means Britain currently lies in third place in the Samsung Super League point table. Little more than one point separates them and the host nation, Switzerland, which is currently in second place.

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Top show jumper Arko III was back competing, at Maubeuge in France, last weekend eight months after minor problems were found in the coffin joint on his near fore, forcing him to miss the World Equestrian Games.

“This was the first competition he’s done. We only did two classes, but he jumped really well in both,” said Arko’s rider, Nick Skelton. He is delighted to have the Hales family’s stallion back in work. “He had a month off, spent some time at stud and then was back just walking.”

Arko will now go to La Baule Super League, Madrid and Rome.

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British Show Jumping Association (BSJA) president John Hales has secretly bought a younger full-brother of his champion jumping stallion Arko III (pictured) at auction in Germany.

Mr Hales suffered disappointment when Arko, ridden by Nick Skelton, missed the World Equestrian Games (WEG) last month due to loss of form linked to a stress injury.

But now Mr Hales is celebrating “a real coup”, and putting his money where his mouth is by answering his own calls for investment in horsepower for British riders for the London 2012 Olympics and beyond (Talk yourself horse, 10 August).

On 26 August, as WEG was drawing to a close, the Telford-based owner paid €130,000 (£88,625) for the five-month-old colt, by Argentinus out of a Beach Boy mare.

Mr Hales kept his interest in the colt anonymous and enlisted a representative at the Elite Sales International auction in Lastrup. The colt’s price-tag is understood to set a record for a foal at auction in Germany.

“We kept it so hush-hush that the Germans think he’s going to America,” said Mr Hales. “I was told about him before the auction and tried to make the owner an offer before the sale, with no luck. I knew everyone would be after him, but I just couldn’t let Arko’s brother go to the opposition.”

The foal, now called Rako, who was weaned on the day of the sale, will arrive in the UK in the next few weeks. He will initially be based at Mr Hales’s yard, before moving to Cheshire to be broken in and produced by Kim Belton.

Mr Hales added that his daughter Lisa was heading to Holland, where Rako is now based with friends, to scout for other horses.

He said she was also seeking planning permission to build an international arena and training facilities at her Shropshire yard with the specific aim of developing horses for London’s 2012 Olympics.

Mr Hales has recently bought two Hanoverians, also from Germany — the seven-year-old gelding Lapacco and six-year-old stallion Concas — with the 2012 Games in mind.

As reported in H&H (news, 30 March), he is talking to racing industry figures about investing in more OIympic show jumpers. Another idea is the formation of an elite 2012 squad of horses under the management of David Broome and Derek Ricketts.

BEF performance manager Will Connell welcomed news of “the Rako coup”. He also said he believed that Britain’s show jumping team would have qualified for the 2008 Beijing (Hong Kong) Olympics at WEG had Arko been on top form and jumped.

• Don’t miss next week’s H&H for the low-down on industry plans to boost elite horsepower across all disciplines.

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Following major concerns around Arko’s recent loss of form, particularly at Hickstead, the stallion was sent for medical tests, which found he will need to be rested until next year at least.

Results found a minor problem with his coffin joint on his near fore and an MRI scan also showed additional slight problems. Therefore Arko is on complete rest until the end of this year. He will be re-scanned at the end of October and following a satisfactory healing process, he should be back in work in the new year.

Joint owner, John Hales said he was disappointed that Arko wouldn’t be at WEG, but wished the team the very best of luck : “Obviously we are bitterly disappointed with this news… all we have ever wanted is for Arko III to represent his country at the highest level. But the plus side is that now we have found the reason for his lacklustre performance and this has at least enabled us to give him time for nature to repair the damage.

“It is inevitable with horses competing at such a high level of competition that these types of injury occur,” John continued. “We wish the British team well for the forthcoming World Equestrian Games and hope to rejoin them in the near future.”

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British show jumping’s resurgence on the international stage continued in Rome last week, as the squad finished equal second in the latest leg of the Samsung Super League Nations’ Cup, while Nick Shelton won the grand prix ahead of Michael Whitaker.

Robert Smith got the British quartet off to a great start with a clear round in the first round on board Marius Claudius; Nick Skelton then followed suit with Arko III. A four-fault performance by Michael Whitaker with Insul Tech Portofino 63 allowed the team to drop Tim Gredley’s (Omelli) unfortunate eight faults. This meant the team carried just four faults into the second round.

All four British team members collected a single pole during the second round to finish on a score of 16 faults, level with America. No one could touch the French team though, as they produced an impressive display of jumping to collect only four faults across the two rounds.

Skelton and Arko went on to win the Rome grand prix on Sunday ahead of Whitaker, this time riding Mozart des Hayettes, against a world class field at the five-star international jumping show. The two British riders were the only ones to produce double clears around the challenging course and this win was the first for a British rider in this particular grand prix for some 30 years.

Jacky Knightly of the BSJA told HHO: “It was a super performance in Rome. The British squad took on the best and showed they were more than equal to the task. Tim Gredley has proven himself as a real asset to any Nations’ Cup squad in recent weeks and has clearly got what it takes at this level, which is very promising for the future.”

Knightly believes that the increasing strength and depth of British horsepower will improve the likelihood of success at the World Equestrian Games in August.

“Omelli is a world-class horse, while Marius Claudis has come back from his break as good as ever and is being very consistent. Plus Mozart des Hayettes showed that he is ready to compete at the next level with his outstanding performance in the grand prix,” she said.

The team for WEG is to be announced in mid July, with the squad competing together in Dublin before heading out to Aachen.

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Nick Skelton and the stallion Arko III are on top of the world after heading the FEI’s overall 2004 points table for leading show jumping horse and rider combinations.

The German-bred Arko, who is owned jointly by new BSJA president John Hales, his wife, Pat, and daughter, Lisa, was consistency itself in 2004, finishing the season as the leading horse in the Samsung Super League Nations Cup series.

He began the year by taking the British Open title in Sheffield, before being placed in numerous international grands prix. The pair led the individual competition at the Athens Olympics going into the final round, finishing 11th overall.

Nick and Arko triumphed in the rankings by a slim margin from Athens silver medallists Rodrigo Pessoa and Baloubet Du Rouet. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Shutterfly) and her brother-in-law, current world number one rider Ludger Beerbaum (Goldfever), finished third and fourth.

There are three other Britons on the list. Michael Whitaker finished 15th on his HOYS grand prix winner, Portofino, Robert Smith was 18th on the horse he rode into fifth place in Athens, Mr Springfield, and Robert Whitaker topped the world’s young riders after ending up 32nd on Nicolette.

“It’s nice to end up number one and I’ll try to do it again this year,” says Nick. “It’s also good for the Hales, who have put so much into the sport and backed me all the way.”

Arko will shortly stand at stud in Germany. Nick will then aim him at the World Cup final and European Championships at San Patrignano, Italy, in July.

This news article was first published in Horse & Hound (27 January, ’05)

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Lisa and John Hale’s fabulous stallion Arko has been named the top horse of the 2004 Samsung Super League, after producing three double clear performances from four appearances with Nick Skelton.

The next most successful partnerships in the series were O de Pomme and Stanny van Paesschen from Belgium and Ireland’s Cian O’Connor and Waterford Crystal, who both jumped two double clears.

Britain’s third place in the final standings was in no small part thanks to the consistency of Britain’s Olympic riders Nick Skelton and Robert Smith, who were the only riders to contest all eight legs of the competition. Their fine performances helped Britain head the double clear leaderboard with France, with each country achieving five double clear rounds in total.

In fact just seven riders represented Britain during the series, compared to France’s winning 14 and second placed Germany’s 16-strong squad.

Robert produced the only double clear of the Hickstead leg with Mr Springfield, who also jumped in La Baule, Rome and Lucerne, while Marius Claudius stepped in for Aachen, Dublin and Barcelona.

Nick rode Russel at Rotterdam, Aachen, Hickstead and Barcelona, with Arko contesting the other four legs. Michael Whitaker produced Britain’s only other double clear with Portofino in Rotterdam.

Other riders who made regular Super League appearances during 2004 included America’s Judy Garofalo, Belgium’s Ludo Philippaerts and Ireland’s Marion Hughes, who each contested six of the eight legs.

Click here to read a report on the Samsung Super League final.

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