Zangersheide Stud’s top showjumping stallion D’Aganix 2000 Z has been put down following an accident while unloading at a show.

In a statement today (15 January) D’Aganix’s rider Christian Ahlmann confirmed “with immense sadness” that the 12-year-old had been put down in the early hours of the morning.

Christian said that “a terrible and unfortunate accident” happened during unloading in Leipzig, resulting in D’Aganix sustaining a severe leg injury.

“Despite immediate help and intensive professional care from several veterinarians and grooms, it quickly became clear that there was no way to give him a pain-free life and a well-deserved retirement,” said Christian.

“Making this decision was incredibly difficult, but it was made out of love and a sense of responsibility towards him. The entire team around D’Aganix 2000 Z is deeply saddened and has begun the journey home. We will miss you very much.”

Christian had ridden D’Aganix since 2021, having taken over from the Netherlands’ Michael Korompis, who produced him in young horse classes. Christian brought D’Aganix up the levels, making their five-star debut together at Den Bosch in 2022. The pair continued at the top level, contesting World Cup qualifiers and Global Champions Tour classes, with a number of top-10 placings.

A Zangersheide spokesperson said D’Aganix was “an exceptional stallion” who united two of the stud’s “most iconic” sires.

“Born in 2014 at the stud farm of Tony Foriers (Stud 2000), he was the first approved son of the black pearl Dominator 2000 Z, out of a daughter of Aganix du Seigneur Z,” said the spokesperson.

“From an early age, D’Aganix 2000 Z demonstrated that he had inherited world-class jumping talent.”

Zangersheide’s Judy Ann Melchior added that “this is an immeasurable loss for us”.

“D’Aganix 2000 Z was a truly special stallion; he was kind, courageous, and overflowing with talent. He was raised at Zangersheide from a very young age, and I watched him grow into a magnificent stallion who fulfilled every promise we saw in him,” she said.

“He became part of our family and grew into one of the strongest talents in Christian’s stable. Due to his sporting career, he was unavailable for breeding for several seasons, yet his first offspring are already impressing us tremendously with their scope, quality and mentality. Through his progeny, his legacy will live on and remain part of Zangersheide for generations to come.”

The stud extended its “sincere gratitude” to Christian’s team for their dedication and care of D’Aganix, and “to the breeders around the world who followed his career and included him in their breeding programmes”.

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The top lot at the recent Zangersheide Quality Jumpers powered by MBA auction was a young stallion who fetched a whopping €1m (£834,000).

On Thursday evening (19 September) in Belgium, an intense bidding war broke out for seven-year-old Codex Diaz Z (Codex One Z x Cornet Obolensky), resulting in his seven-figure price tag. The youngster was sold to a buyer from Germany.

This debut auction was a collaboration between Judy Ann Melchior, Jens Baackmann and Christian Ahlmann, and held as part of the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses at Zangersheide in Belgium.

Auctioneer Frederik de Backer presented the collection of 26 lots, ranging from three-year-old potential showjumpers to nine-year-old proven performers with the striking Codex Diaz Z proving the highlight as the approved stallion son of the Aachen grand prix winner’s price soared to the €1m mark.

Changing hands for €900,000 was seven-year-old stallion Ay Caramba Z (Aganix Du Seigneur Z x Crowntano Z), who was also sold to Germany, while the third most expensive horse of the evening was six-year-old gelding Barack Z (Balounito x Arpeggio), for whom the hammer fell at €365,000 to a buyer from the United States.

A British bidder secured six-year-old approved stallion Dolomite Z (Diamant De Semilly x Caretano Z) for €310,000 and the hammer fell at €295,000 for eight-year-old Danger Z (Dominator 2000 Z x Calvados Z) to a Chinese buyer.

Among the three-year-olds to go under the hammer, the mare Annan Z, a daughter of Aganix Du Seigneur Z and Canturo, and a full sister to Ludger Beerbaum’s approved stallion Aberdeen Z, sold to the US for €240,000. The chestnut stallion Chacnan Van Het Weidehof Z (Chacco Blue x Kannan) sold for €110,000 to new German owners while Denzel The One Z, a son of Diablue PS and Ogano Sitte, changed hands for €98,000 finding a new home in the United States.

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Last year, leading German showjumper Christian Ahlmann suffered a fall from his horse Solid Gold Z that he thought could bring his illustrious career to a devastating end.

“I remember lying there, thinking, ‘This could be it’,” he says. “All I could hope was that we would survive.”

The pair were competing in a 1.55m class during the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) of Mexico City in May 2023 when the accident happened at an oxer, with the pair landing steeply and crashing to the ground.

“My horse Solid jumped clear until this fence,” reveals Christian in episode two of LGCT series Rising Above, this segment entitled Bouncing Back, “which reveals his harrowing fall in Mexico City and his triumphant return to the pinnacle of the sport, showcasing the raw power of determination and the unbreakable spirit of a champion.”

“I remember the accident only in vivid flashes,” he says.

Christian Ahlmann: “My hand was not in the right place – I was in shock”

The Olympic medallist says it felt as though time stood still but then he felt the severe pain in his neck, head and arm.

“When I saw my hand it was not in the right place anymore. I was totally in shock,” he recalls.

“Miraculously” the then 12-year-old Stakkato Gold stallion was led away unharmed but Christian was found to have broken his arm and was operated on in Mexico.

“People who have been on top for a while may think they are invincible but life is unpredictable, anything can happen,” he says.

A triumphant return to five-star showjumping

After six weeks of recovery, Christian returned to the saddle, competing in some lower level competitions initally. He made his return to five-star competition at the Paris leg of the LGCT just two months after the fall.

In an extraordinary weekend for the German rider, he ended up winning Saturday’s grand prix after a thrilling seven-way jump-off, having teamed up with his consistent performer, the scopey Mandato Van De Neerheide, who he’s had since a six-year-old.

“It is difficult to explain, the last time I left the Global Tour it was a little different, with one arm in the wrong direction,” said Christian after his victory. “I am really, really happy to be back in the sport. This is the first time I am back in the ‘real sport’, let’s say, and to finish it with a win here, it’s unbelievable.”

As commentator Frederik De Backer sums up, Christian’s remarkable recovery came “from the abyss to the highest peak”.

“If you’re going through the worst period of your life, don’t lose faith,” he says. “Keep fighting, believe in yourself.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the National Dressage Championships, Blenheim Horse Trials, Horse of the Year Show and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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The summer season is reaching a crescendo across the Atlantic, with a string of top level shows in Canada and USA at the moment with showjumping results coming thick and fast, but there’s plenty of action in Europe too. This week we saw a rare tie for top honours in a five-star grand prix, a rider having to improvise with a fast plan B after losing a stirrup in a jump-off, an oversized pony finding the winning formula and the return of Ben Maher’s World Championship star Faltic HB in a nail-biting jump-off.

Here is your weekly round-up of international sporting action from the world of showjumping over the past few days, as well as this week’s showjumping results.

Who needs two stirrups anyway?

In the final CSI5* class at the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) of Rome at the Circus Maximus, Christian Ahlmann and the stallion Solid Gold Z (pictured below) triumphed – despite the rider losing a stirrup en route and having to improvise during his jump-off round. Christian executed a miraculous rollback after his foot slipped out of the stirrup at the third fence from home.

“I had to do one or two extra strides than I planned,” said the German rider, who still bolted home 0.91sec faster than runner-up Malin Baryard-Johnsson of Sweden riding the brilliantly named Harley Davidson in a six-way jump-off. “He is an unbelievable horse, an unbelievable fighter and I’m so pleased everyone can see how special he is.”

• Showjumping results from the 1.50m jump-off class at the LGCT Rome

A historic dead heat and incredible winning streak for Matt Sampson

Very rarely will a top-level grand prix result in a dead heat, but at the Continental CSI5*/2* tournament at Spruce Meadows, Canada, Ireland’s Paul O’Shea and British rider Matt Sampson shared the spoils after both riders stopped the clock on exactly 38sec in Sunday’s Friends of the Meadows grand prix presented by Rolex (pictured below). A field of 20 combinations representing eight nations tackled Anthony D’Ambrosio’s track with seven making it through to the jump-off. Riding Imerald Van’t Voorhof, Paul set the lightning-quick target for Matt to chase and he and the great mare Ebolensky flew off in hot pursuit, posting the exact same time. This was the first time in Spruce Meadows history that there were two winners of a five-star grand prix.

“We love Spruce Meadows, to be able to jump in the big grass fields before next week [CSIO5* Masters tournament] and have this result builds confidence,” said Matt. Paul added: “This is a big grand prix in itself, I’m very happy to be here and to have this opportunity ahead of next week.”

This win was the icing on the cake for a jubilant Matt, who is enjoying an incredible winning streak, having also claimed victory this week in the 1.45m CSI2* grand prix with Rachel Evison’s Curraghgraigue Obos Flight, a 1.40m on Evora BJX and Thursday’s 1.50m class riding Fabrice DN, with several other placings too. Well done Matt!

• Spruce Meadows Continental tournament showjumping results

The secret to one “quirky” multi-winning horse? A ‘support human’

US showjumper Kristen Vanderveen landed the speed stakes at the Hampton Classic Horse Show on a big-striding horse with “a quirky personality”, Bull Run’s Prince of Peace.

“It’s great to be back at the Hampton Classic,” she said. “My plan was actually to go all-out on my second horse, Faustino, but today it paid off to stay a little conservative. Prince of Peace is also a really fast horse, so I didn’t have to go all-out with him.”

“He’s quite the character,” she said of the 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding. “He’s taken me a bit of time to figure out. He’s got a quirky personality, so he’s a little special in the barn. He always likes to have his groom with him; we call it ‘needing his support human.’ But he’s won many classes over the years and been great. He’s done speed classes and grands prix, and it’s nice to have a horse that I can use in both divisions.”

• Hampton Classic results

Faltic HB is back!

One of the heroes of Great Britain’s bronze medal-winning squad from last month’s World Showjumping Championships, Ben Maher’s ride Faltic HB, was back in action this week, competing at the LGCT of Rome. Ben and the Oakingham Stud’s stallion blitzed round clear in 43.35sec to finish a very close second to victor Christian Kukuk riding the impressive stallion Mumbai in Saturday’s grand prix. The victorious German rider picked up one of the last remaining golden tickets to this year’s prestigious LGCT Super Grand Prix at the Prague Playoffs in November.

Taking third after a thrilling 12-way jump-off was Marlon Zanotelli riding Like A Diamond Van Het Schaeck, just ahead of world champion Henrik von Eckermann with his potential superstar mare Iliana. The recent LGCT London winner, Pieter Devos and Mom’s Toupie De La Roque finished fifth while another Brit, Jodie Hall McAteer rode another brilliant double clear with Salt’N Peppa (H&H‘s Spotlight star in this week’s magazine, in the shops 8 September) to finish seventh.

“This means everything to me,” said Christian, who is based at the stables of Ludger Beerbaum. “I have put enormous effort into this sport and all the horses, especially Mumbai, over the past 10 years since I started at Ludger’s and I always dream about winning one of these LGCT grands prix.

“I just realised that the breeder of Mumbai is here and it is her birthday – I think the day was just made for us. My groom has always said ‘I want to win one of these grands prix and I want to be in Prague for the Super Grand Prix’ and I said ‘I will try my best’. Today it worked out – it means a lot to us.”

Ben Maher has closed in on leader Christian Ahlmann in the championship standings; now just six points separate the two contenders as they head to the next round in New York this month before the final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in October.

• LGCT grand prix of Rome results

“Big pony with a big heart” jumps to victory

At the 2022 Hampton Classic Horse Show at Bridgehampton, NY, Amanda Derbyshire triumphed in Friday’s CSI2* grand prix qualifier riding Gochman Sport Horse LLC’s Wonder If (main image above).

“I’ve had ‘Juicy’ since the start of Florida this year,” said Amanda of the 10-year-old British-bred Cevin Z mare, formerly produced by Emma McGlynn. “She’s the most awesome horse. She’s literally a big pony with a really big heart. She’s been nothing but perfect since we got her and is the nicest, friendliest horse. Every time you go into the ring, you know she’s going to try for you, and it’s such a good feeling to have. Even though she’s little and doesn’t have the biggest stride, she makes up for it by being really fast and economical over the jumps. The owner, Becky, was also here to watch today, and it’s just amazing. She’s my biggest supporter, and I will always be grateful to her.”

Sunday’s $410,000 Hampton Classic five-star grand prix was won by Karl Cook with Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet.

• Showjumping results from Hampton Classic

“What a horse”

At the CSI3* Bemer Riders Tour at Lier, Belgium, Great Britain’s Robert Whitaker was in the money, claiming a victory in Friday’s 1.50m grand prix qualifier riding Caroline Blatchford’s 13-year-old Evert after a quality field of 13 jumped off against the clock.

“What a horse,” said Robert, who went on to finish 10th to Frenchman Mathieu Billot (Darling De L’Angevine) in the 1.55m feature class and also finished in the money at the show with Vermento.

• Showjumping results from CSI3* Lier

London Knights win GCL of Rome

The duo of Mike Kawai and Sam Hutton helped GCL team London Knights to their first podium of the season at the Rome leg on Saturday (3 September).

“This feeling is actually amazing because I have always wanted to be on top of the podium in the GCL and to win the class feels incredible – we finally did it!” said Mike, who is trained by Jan Tops and rode Goldwin, a former mount of Laura Kraut, in Rome.

Sam, who was riding the London stallion Oak Grove’s Laith at only their second show together, added: “We really stuck together as a team. Abdel Said was there helping us and it was a great feeling. We are going to be fighting for a top-four finish that is for sure. When I walked it I thought it was quite a difficult course, and everyone was jumping it really well early on but I think it was the pressure of the teams that got to everyone.”

Berlin Eagles have now taken the lead in the GCL Championship with just two stages to go.

• GCL results from Rome

Auction purchase is proving profitable

Israeli showjumper Daniel Bluman took top honours in the $74,000 Hampton Classic CSI2* grand prix riding Cachemire De Braize.

“Cache has been with us for about three years,” said Daniel of the 10-year-old Selle Français gelding. “He came out of an auction a few years ago, and I’ve been working with him since. He’s got a lot of talent, and he’s definitely fast. He’s had almost 10 international wins. He’s a very good horse, very competitive, and has his own way of going.

“[Course designer] Alan Wade of course did a good job, but we don’t expect anything less from him. It was a difficult track for the two-star level, but Cachemire is a five-star horse. He’s done a lot of four-star grands prix, so he’s really at a level where he has experience and scope to spare. He gave me a really, really nice first round, then was great for the second. I knew I had to lay it out in the second round because I had some fast riders coming, and Karl Cook had already had a good jump-off. I just focused on my plan, and it worked out.”

• Hampton Classic results

Botham’s quick-fire treble in Rome

Fresh from success at the London leg of the LGCT, Adam Botham rode Barbara Hester’s Harvey to victory in Friday’s CSI2* two-phase at the LGCT in Rome. Warwickshire-based Adam quickly made it a winning double, jumping Barbara’s great stallion Ebanking (pictured above) to victory in the 1.40m equivalent, then the duo returned the next morning to take the red ribbons for the speed class by an incredible margin of nearly 2sec.

Another British rider who finished in the ribbons in London, Izac Ketteridge, chased home Adam and Harvey in the opening two-phase to finish second riding Z7 Caretina and then followed up with a victory double in both Saturday’s 1.30m speed class and Sunday’s jump-off class riding Carron Nicol’s impressive 11-year-old Galerius.

Ireland’s Shane Breen was another victor in Italy’s capital this week, winning the opening CSI5* two-phase with Z7 Ipswich.

• LGCT Rome showjumping results

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

From five-star action at the historic shows of Hamburg and Rome, to two-star sport on home soil, there was plenty to write home about for British and Irish riders competing internationally this weekend – as well as one pioneering Polish rider.

Here is your weekly round-up of international jumping action.

1. First female Derby winner since Caroline Bradley in 1975.

It is hard to fathom that, until Sunday, the last female winner of the historic Hamburg Derby had been Caroline Bradley riding New Yorker in 1975. Fast forward 47 years and, jumping the only clear in a four-way jump-off, Hamburg-based Polish rider Cassandra Orschel seized a dramatic victory with the 11-year-old Dacara E. The delight she showed on her lap of honour (pictured) revealed just how much it meant to win this legendary class.

“Not only is this the biggest success in my career, I’m also one of only five women who ever win the Derby in Hamburg,” she said. “It was a day full of emotions!”

• Hamburg Derby results.

2. Two legends team up for victory – one of whom only needs one rein!

In the Global Champions League (GCL) at Hamburg, the legendary pair of John Whitaker and Marcus Ehning teamed up to claim top honours representing Valkenswaard United. However, John had a “scary” moment approaching the final fence in the first round when he dropped his left rein on Equine America Unick Du Francport.

“It all happened so quickly,” said John. “It was a bit scary but I tried not to panic – I think we got away with it!”

With some quick thinking and skilful horsemanship, the pair managed to clear the huge oxer and provide the first of two clears that propelled Valkenswaard United to victory. John and Marcus thrilled the crowds throughout the competition, but particularly with their antics on the podium – Marcus offering his senior counterpart a leg-up on to the stage.

“I was just trying to think positive and jump clear,” said John after his less eventful second round. “Marcus had a really unlucky fault but you have to keep fighting and my horse is on form.”

Marcus, who rode his great partner Stargold, added: “The pressure was on because we haven’t done too well over the last stages. But John is used to it so I thought I would put him under some more pressure and he pulled it off again! Picking up maximum points for the championship is so important and this gives us a lot of hope for the next shows.”

• Global Champions League of Hamburg results.

3. Double clear for Equine America Spacecake in first Nations Cup

Ellen Whitaker said she “couldn’t be prouder of our amazing horse and my team” after she rode Tilly Shaw’s 10-year-old mare Equine America Spacecake to a double clear in their first Nations Cup together in Rome. The team finished sixth to winners France but it was a particularly exciting debut for this pair.

“Hard work as it is – sometimes you just have to enjoy every moment,” said Ellen, who was joined by her brother Donald Whitaker (Di Caprio), Joe Stockdale (Equine America Cacharel) and James Wilson (Imagine De Muze) in representing Great Britain in the five-star competition.

• Rome Nations Cup results.

4. Ireland win Lisbon Nations Cup

The Irish squad of Richard Howley (Consulent De Prelet Z), Jessica Burke (Namamia), Kevin Gallagher (Ballypatrick Flamenco) and Jenny Rankin (Carmela Z) combined for a tremendous victory in the Longines EEF Nations Cup of Lisbon. Great Britain’s young team finished eighth and following the theme of British siblings on teams (see above), Olli and William Fletcher were part of the team, alongside Karl Robins and Sienna Charles.

• Lisbon Nations Cup results.

5. “When I got him, it was disastrous”: Lynch lands a historic second victory in Rome

Denis Lynch and new ride Brooklyn Heights (pictured above) triumphed in the CSIO5* Rolex grand prix in Rome, Denis becoming the first Irishman to win the historic class twice, having first claimed the title in 2008 on Lantinus. The 13-year-old Brooklyn Heights (Nabab De Reve x For Pleasure) has had a string of different riders in his career and Denis has only been riding him for four months but it was a case of trial and error finding the key to riding him.

“When I got him in the beginning I tried to go quick and it was disastrous, but in the last few weeks the horse has really grown with me, and given me and him incredible confidence,” said Denis. “He is quite strong. He’s a bit special, I’ve never had a horse like this before with his mentality. He’s not typical, he likes to be hacked out, you don’t work him at home and when we tried him and bought him we thought he’d be a good 1.50m horse. When he jumps 1.10m it feels big, when you jump 1.20m it feels big but when you get him in the arena in a good canter he really excels and it’s really incredible what he’s done today!”

From 50 starters in Sunday’s class, 13 of the 16 clears elected to jump off over Uliano Vezzani’s snaking track and Denis seized the advantage of last draw to pip long-time leader 30-year-old Jana Wargers from Germany riding Limbridge, with Italy’s Piergiorgio Bucci (Cochello) third for home side Italy.

“I think what I learned from 2008 with Lantinus is that when you come to a show like this with a great horse you really have to give it your best, and give that horse the best opportunity, and on a day like today it would be disappointing if I made a mistake because he didn’t want to make a mistake,” said Denis. “That’s what these great horses teach you. You have to give them your full focus and concentration because they are rare, and I’m very lucky to have a great horse again.”

• Full results from the Rome grand prix.

6. Victory for Edwards – with a little help from ice packs and paracetamol

Welsh showjumper Mark Edwards scored an incredible hat-trick with home-bred horses at the CSI2* Chard, Somerset, including the top-billed grand prix — all despite a foot injury.

“I was leading a horse out on Tuesday and it jumped on my foot. I wondered if it was broken but it’s just badly bruised. Ice packs and paracetamol have eased it and I got my boots on and managed to ride on Thursday,” said Mark. “It’s harder to walk than to ride and still sore; walking the distances on the course-walk is the hardest part.”

Mark made up time early on in the jump-off with tight lines, maintaining his momentum in the latter stages, scything a turn to the final oxer to cut the leading time by 0.89sec.

“Montreuxs Tale is so quick and covers the ground, I never have to chase after him,” said Mark. “ We made time up between the first two fences and kept it up.”

• Results from the CSI2* Chard grand prix.

7. Ahlmann scores ‘one of the biggest goals of the year’

Home hero Christian Ahlmann landed Saturday’s Longines Global Champions Tour grand prix of Hamburg riding his top stallion Dominator 2000 Z, just ahead of Ireland’s Mikey Pender on HHS Calais, who finished equal second after posting the same time as the European champions Andre Thieme on DSP Chakaria, to take his first LGCT grand prix podium.

According to Christian, earning his ticket to the LGCT Super Grand Prix in November was “one of the biggest goals of the year” and he takes over as championship leader in the overall standings.

“It’s an amazing win in front of a home crowd,” he said. “I know the ring very well and I know Dominator very well, we had our difficulties at the start of this show but today he jumped amazing and he gave everything so we had a perfect day. I was hoping for this golden ticket but I didn’t expect it today.”

• Results from the LGCT grand prix of Hamburg.

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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 your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The CSI5* grand prix at the Glock Horse Performance Centre in Treffen, Austria, went down to the wire this afternoon (3 February), with Germany’s Christian Ahlmann pulling off a brilliant jump-off round to secure victory.

This is the first time the Glock Horse Performance Centre has hosted a winter show at CSI5* level, having upgraded from CSI3* for 2019.

Christian and the 10-year-old grey stallion Clintrexo Z shaved almost two seconds off the time of Brazil’s Marlon Modolo Zanotelli (Icarus) in the jump-off, with the Olympic rider daring the son of Clintissimo Z all the way.

“My horse did a really great job today. I took full risk and he did everything perfectly, so I am very proud of him,” said Christian, who also won the Mechelen CSI5* World Cup qualifier with this horse at the end of December. “I had a really good feeling from him in the first round and he took that with him into the jump-off.”

Guy Williams finished best of the Brits, with a stylish double clear aboard his ride of only a few weeks, the 12-year-old Cicero II, putting him in seventh.

“I’ve only had him since December and he hasn’t jumped a big grand prix like that before so I was really pleased. He’s improving every week,” Guy told H&H.

Britain’s Scott Brash was also one of 14 to reach the jump-off, but had a pole down with he 12-year-old stallion Hello M’Lord.

Earlier in the day Irish rider Denis Lynch claimed his second win of the CSI5* with his new ride, Pretty Little Liar. The 12-year-old Indoctro mare, who was previously partnered by Israel’s Danielle Goldstein, topped the Glock’s Perfection 1.50m class on both Saturday and Sunday.

For the full report from the Glock Horse Performance Centre, don’t miss the next issue of Horse & Hound, on sale on 7 February.

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Even JK Rowling would have struggled to write a better final chapter to the story of the great showjumping stallion Taloubet Z.

His German rider Christian Ahlmann announced last week that he would be retiring the 18-year-old (Galoubet A x Polydor), who has carried him to team bronze at the Olympic Games, a World Cup title and reams of grand prix victories.

Their final competition was to be the feature class, the World Cup, in front of their home crowd at the CSI5* Leipzig on Sunday and, in a beautifully scripted fairytale finish, the pair triumphed against the best in the world for one last time.

“We took the risk to jump him so he could say goodbye here at Leipzig where everyone knows him and leave the sport in great shape,” said Christian. “So to have a good result and to finish with a proper round like that under pressure, it makes me so happy.”

Christian, 43, and Taloubet Z were last to go in the 15-horse jump-off and the prize-giving ceremony that followed was an occasion filled with emotion before the stallion’s saddle was removed and he left the show ring for the final time.

“I really didn’t want to mess it up for Taloubet,” said Christian. “It’s the greatest day of my life for sure, not for the points or the money, it’s much more than that. It’s because this great horse, who still has all this power, even at this age, is ending his career in a great way.”

Looking back over their nine-year partnership, Christian said: “It has always been fascinating to feel what Taloubet was capable of. His bounce, speed, fighting spirit and quality are just abnormal. But even his balanced, lovable nature is absolutely unique.”

Continued below…

Tales from Rio: ‘He’s the most brave breeding stallion in the world’

Taloubet Z’s top 10 moments

1. Taloubet Z jumped in four World Cup finals, winning in 2011

2. This was their third grand prix triumph in Leipzig

3. He and Christian competed together at the highest level for nine years

4. Taloubet earned over €2million in prize-money

5. The pair took team bronze and finished ninth individually at the Rio Olympics 2016

6. Taloubet was bred in the Netherlands by Cees Klaver, the same man who bred Nick Skelton’s dual gold medallist Big Star.

7. The pair helped the German team win the Nations Cup final, 2016

8. Taloubet is co-owned by Christian, his wife Judy-Ann and father-in-law Leon Melchior and was previously ridden by Judy-Ann

9. Taloubet and Christian contested nine showjumping championships, winning team silver at the Europeans in 2015

10. He will enjoy his retirement has a much in-demand breeding stallion: “I hope there will be many offspring in the world who also possess his genius,” said Christian.

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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Germany’s Christian Ahlmann is a regular face on the international showjumping scene. He was in Rio with the magnificent Dutch warmblood (KWPN) horse Taloubet Z.

But far from being a fire-breathing stallion, Christian says he is “really quiet, almost too quiet”.

“Just walking around, you wouldn’t think he had so much blood [energy and fiestiness] in the ring. He is a breeding stallion, but the most brave breeding stallion in the world. You could take him in to your bed if you wanted. He’s such a nice horse.

“To start, in the ring, he is on the border of almost too much blood; but in the stable you can’t see it. In the ring he comes alive.”

Now 41, Christian has been riding Taloubet for seven years — although as a youngster Christian’s first love was for football before he found riding.

Although Taloubet was always talented, the son of Galoubet A used ot have a fear of water jumps.

“I took him home from a show and he didn’t want to jump the water and he didn’t want to jump the fences around the water,” says Christian. “So we had a hard time with that. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to jump it, but he was a bit scared and didn’t want to get close.

They worked long and hard to overcome the horse’s fear, starting with baby steps.

“We started from 20cm onwards, and from the moment he felt safe it was OK. It took a while, and luckily we got on the team.”

The German equestrian teams are some of the most successful medal-producers for their nation across all sports. And in Rio they were sniffing out medals too.

“Taloubet’s in great shape, really concentrated, really fresh,” he goes on.

Continued below…

Related articles:

Tales from Rio: A million reasons to love this rider

Tales from Rio: ‘I was on 21 painkillers, but I had to qualify for the Olympics’

Tales from Rio: Why it was ‘wee wee’ rather than ‘oui oui’ for the French yesterday

Christian is in the mix zone in Rio, talking to journalists under the punishing sun after jumping in the main arena. How does he feel about the courses?

“The first day was a very good course,” says the lanky German. “We had no big problems in the course and I really hope I can keep it like that. But I didn’t expect so many clears — lots of horses jumped it very well.

As everyone knows, it’s millimetres that makes or breaks a combination in showjumping.

“One fault can make a huge difference,” he continues. “Talou is an amazing horse, with so much power and a lot — a lot — of scope. It is my job to get the power out of him in sport. Now we have the control and the confidence for a lot of years, but we had a hard time to start, so that makes it more special now.”

The German team went on to take bronze after a jump-off with Canada.

Full 20-page report from the Olympic showjumping in Rio in the issue of H&H published Thursday, 25 August, including full analysis of every round of the competition and expert comment from Geoff Billington and William Funnell.

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The German dressage and showjumping teams have been announced for the Rio Olympics at a press conference held in Aachen today.

Dressage:

• Kristina Bröring-Sprehe (above) on Desperados FRH
• Sönke Rothenberger on Cosmo
• Isabell Werth on Weihegold OLD
• Dorothee Schneider on Showtime FRH
• Travelling reserve: Hubertus Schmidt on Imperio

Showjumping

• Christian Ahlmann on Taloubet Z
• Ludger Beerbaum on Casello
• Daniel Deusser on First Class Van Eeckelghem
• Marcus Ehning on Cornado NRW
• Travelling reserve: Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum on Fibonacci 17

Meredith’s listing is to be confirmed as she has to check her owners are happy for the horse to travel on the reserve basis.

The dressage team is exactly the same as the quartet which has dazzled this week in Aachen, winning the Nations Cup with three plus-80% scores in both the grand prix on Thursday and the special today. Sönke is an Olympic debutant, but the other three all have Games experience.

The showjumping team also has one Olympic first-timer in Daniel Deusser, who was the World Cup champion in 2014.

The Germans won the showjumping Nations Cup in Aachen last Thursday evening, when Meredith was in the team and Daniel was left on the bench. Casello and Fibonacci were on that Nations Cup team, with Christian riding Epleaser Van’t Heike and Marcus on Pret A Tout.

The German eventing team is expected to be announced imminently too, after the conclusion of the Aachen Nations Cup this morning. Germany finished second to Australia, but this will not cause the reigning Olympic, world and European champions any concerns as they were only fielding one of their expected Rio quartet in the team. Michael Jung won the class individually on FischerTakinou, who is his preferred mount for Rio.

Full report from Aachen in H&H this week, out Thursday, 21 July.

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Kent Farrington (USA) and Germany’s Christian Ahlmann are among a group of riders to have pulled out of the penultimate round of the individual championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Christian and Codex One were in 10^th position in the individual standings, 5pen behind the leaders, going through to Saturday’s top 30 decider. They had also been part of the fourth-placed German team. But, in a joint-decision with his national coach Otto Becker and the horse’s owner, Christian has elected to withdraw as he felt he could no longer contest a podium place.

“I will not go in the final round with Codex One,” he says in a statement. “Codex has already yielded great performances this year, having won the Aachen and Valkenswaard grands prix and I want to protect him.”

Kent Farrington, part of the bronze medal-winning USA squad at WEG with Voyeur, has made a similar decision. He was ranked 27th individually. A statement reads:

“The decision was made after consideration with Voyeur’s owners. Kent feels that there is a lot of jumping still to do in the individual qualifying competition; a lot of ground to make up in the leader board and the likelihood of qualifying for the individual final on Sunday, with the standard of jumping this weekend is not likely. He is very pleased with the way Voyeur jumped this week and is very pleased to have had the honor of being awarded a bronze medal with Team USA.”

Ludger Beerbaum is reported to have pulled out from 30th in the individual classification and Canada’s Yann Candele (Showgirl), ranked 22nd, has also withdrawn.

“Due to the mare’s age [14], between Yann, myself, and Mark [Laskin, chef d’equipe], we made the decision that it was too much to put her through,” explained Eric Lamaze, who is one of Showgirl’s owners. “If they were in the top 10, we would consider sending her, but being in 22nd and having so many riders in front, it is not possible for them to advance to ‘The Final Four’.  There are several other riders who have also made the decision not to go on Saturday for this reason.”

Great Britain’s Scott Brash pulled out of the individual competition on Wednesday (3 September).

The top 30 combinations are due to jump again on Saturday, after which the leading four go through to Sunday’s horse-swapping final. Beezie Madden (USA) is the current leader, with barely one fence separating the top eight riders.

Don’t miss the full reaction to these shock withdrawals, plus the full report from WEG, in next week’s issue of Horse & Hound, out 11 September.

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Christian Ahlmann and the 12-year-old stallion Codex One landed Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix in Aachen – one of the toughest competitions in the sport. In doing so, the German rider became the new contender for the Rolex Grand Slam and a potential 1m euro bonus.

“Normally it’s better to ride last, but not today,” said Christian, 39, who forced his four jump-off rivals into making mistakes from first draw, thus taking victory with the only treble clear.

“This is a dream come true for me and for sure, I will be at the Spruce Meadows Masters [the next leg of the Rolex Grand Slam] in September.”

The runner-up was Kent Farrington (USA) with the 12-year-old Dutch-bred gelding Voyeur, who recorded the fastest time but with a very expensive pole falling at the final fence.

Third went to Marcus Ehning and Plot Blue, with Daniel Deusser (Cornet D’Amour) fourth, with USA rider Lauren Hough fifth with two down in the final round on Ohlala.

British contenders Ben Maher (Cella) and Scott Brash (Hello Sanctos) both lost their chances with four and eight faults respectively in round one.

Katrin Eckermann and Firth Of Lorne suffered a heavy fall at the water – for the second time this week – and we’ll bring you news of their wellbeing as soon as we have it.

Don’t miss the full report from the CHIO Aachen in next week’s issue of Horse & Hound (out Thursday 24 July).

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The Longines Global Champions Tour grand prix may have been the highlight of last weekend’s five-star show at Chantilly — and congratulations to USA rider Beezie Madden for lifting the glittering trophy — but the fiercest competition of all played out on the racecourse.

Showjumpers including Olympic medallists Ben Maher, Cian O’Connor, Steve Guerdat and Frenchman Julien Epaillard donned coloured silks, hitched their stirrup leathers up several holes — well, some of them at least — and quickly acquainted themselves with their thoroughbred partners for a race round Chantilly’s famous track.

The riders were taking part in the show’s annual “race n jump” in which showjumpers team up with some of France’s leading jockeys. The jockeys complete a round of showjumps before the showjumpers head to the starting gates for a seven-furlong sprint.

This year’s delighted victors were French showjumper Eugenie Angot, who’d been paired with French Flat jockey Dominique Boeuf.

“I followed Dominique’s advice — he told me what to do and it was perfect,” said Eugenie. “And he was the jockey who looked most like a showjumper [over the coloured poles].”

“She rode the perfect race,” added Dominique.

Olympic champion Steve Guerdat proved he’s not just a speed demon in the ring, finishing a short distance behind.

“They [the jockeys] had a lot of fun jumping, while we had a lot of fun riding,” he said.

Racecourse debutants Ben Maher and Cian O’Connor won’t be giving AP McCoy or Frankie Dettori any cause for concern just yet, however.

“I’d never ridden a racehorse before and it felt unbelievably fast so I tried to keep him on the bridle a bit,” said Cian.

Chantilly is not just world-famous as a racing epicentre — polo is also hugely popular here and showjumping’s world number one Christian Ahlmann, Richard Spooner and Simon Delestre all tried their hand at a few chukkas under the instruction of Argentinean player Pancho Bensadon. Christian first had to overcome the handicap of being left-handed but nevertheless described the afternoon as “an amazing experience”.

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German showjumper Christian Ahlmann is back in the running to ride at the 2012 Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) deemed an International Olympic Committee (IOC) regulation as “unenforceable”.

Fifth in the world rankings, Mr Ahlmann was banned from competiton for eight months after his horse C ¶ster tested positive for the banned substance capsaicin at the 2008 Olympics.

Under IOC rules this barred him from future Olympic Games. But on 6 October the CAS overturned the rule, which applies to all athletes banned for more than six months for doping.

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (13 October, 2011)

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German riders enjoyed a strong start on home soil in the first leg of the 2011 Rolex FEI World Cup jumping final in Leipzig.

Marco Kutscher took top spot in this opening speed class riding Cash, with title-holder Marcus Ehning (Sabrina) in second and Christian Ahlmann (Taloubet Z) in third. Just 0.5sec separated the first three.

Ireland’s Billy Twomey and the 14-year-old mare Tinka’s Serenade hit the back rail of an oxer to finish in 16th place (just behind Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly) on four faults while Denis Lynch (Abbervail Van Het Dingeshof) took a tumble through the combination and was eliminated. The 34-year-old was said to be none the worse for his fall.

Billy was confident beforehand, saying: “I’m in it to win, and hopefully my horses can keep up the form they’ve been in and we can give it a proper go.

“I will be using Tinka’s Serenade for all the World Cup classes, as she has proved she can be strong in all phases, I also have Romanov for the grand prix and Molly Malone for the young horse classes. We had a warm up class yesterday and Tinka was sixth and I was pleased with the way she jumped.”

There are no British riders competing in the World Cup, although Ellen Whitaker is competing in the supporting classes.

The second round takes place tomorrow (Friday) and points calculated from these first two competitions will determine who goes through to Sunday’s final.

Don’t miss full report in next week’s H&H (out 5 May).

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It doesn’t happen very often in showjumping, but two riders recorded identical times to tie for first place in a gripping finale to the Hermes Grand Prix in Paris today (Sunday).

In a non-stop, eight-rider jump-off for the top prize, Germany’s Christian Ahlmann (Taloubet Z) and Belgium’s Rik Hemeryck (Quarco De Kerambars) both stopped the clock clear in 40.71sec.

“I don’t think I’ve ever shared a class before, certainly not a class this big anyway,” said the German rider.

Belgian rider Rik added: “It’s excellent for the public to see two winners. You have 30 of the world’s top riders competing here, so it’s not just luck to win – you need to work really hard, too.”

Britain’s Ben Maher had an unfortunate four faults in the jump-off on nine-year-old Tripple X III, who looked to have come of age at this five-star show. The youngest horse to reach the jump-off, Ben’s home-bred black stallion proved more than capable of holding his own against some of the best horses in the world in the 1.60m grand prix, finishing in sixth place.

“He still has a lot to learn, but he’ll have learnt so much from jumping here,” said Ben.

Earlier in the day, some of Europe’s best under-25 riders fought out “Les Talents Hermes” – a team competition for pairs of riders from seven different nations.

Britain was represented by Matthew Sampson (Utopia) and Daniel Neilson (Chauvanist). This talented duo finished fourth. It was a great show for Daniel and the nine-year-old Vigo D’Arsouilles gelding who finished third in the young rider class the day before.

For full report, results and pictures from the three-day five-star show in Paris, don’t miss next week’s Horse & Hound (out 28 April).

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German showjumper Christian Ahlmann has won the first two legs of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup Western European League with his stallion Taloubet Z.

After victory in the opening qualifier in Oslo, Norway, last weekend, he claimed the double on Sunday with an impressive win at Helsinki Horse Show in Finland.

“I’m very lucky to have such a quick horse,” said 35-year-old Christian, who suffered the loss of his great stallion Calvados Z seven days previously at Oslo Horse Show. “[Taloubet] is getting better and better all the time and he is able to jump anything and everything. At the beginning with him it was not so easy, but now we understand each other completely.

“It’s a small ring, but that was no problem for him last night or today,” added the German rider, who also took Saturday night’s grand prix with the 10-year-old stallion. “There were lots of turns and, with his scope, I was able to turn very short without having to worry. I did not have to take all the risks and luckily it was enough today — even though I did not expect to win!”

Second place went to Christian’s fellow countryman Philipp Weishaupt (Catoki) with Leon Thijssen and Tyson finishing third for the Netherlands.

Robert Smith and William Funnell were Britain’s sole representatives at the show. Robert and Talan finished in the top 20 having picked up four faults in the first round, while William retired Billy Congo after a “belly flop” at the treble — both horse and rider were apparently none-the-worse, however. The Surrey rider had success earlier in the show, taking a speed class with Julie Slade’s nine-year-old Beowulf.

With 40 points and two Rolex watches already accumulated, Christian Ahlmann looks odds-on to contest the Rolex FEI World Cup final held in Germany in April.

“The pressure is a little bit less now — I will have a chance to pick up a few more points later in the season,” said Christian.

The third leg takes place in Lyon, France, this weekend.

Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2010/2011 Western European League standings after two rounds

1. Christian Ahlmann (GER) 40

2. Leon Thijssen (NED) 27

3. Philipp Weishaupt (GER) 24

4. Malin Baryard-Johnsson (SWE) 23

5. Lars Nieberg (GER) 22

6. Kevin Staut (FRA) 21

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The results of the postmortem into the death of German showjumper Christian Ahlmann’s horse Calvados Z, are still not known.

Christian’s mother, Hildegard Ahlmann, told H&H this morning that the whole family was very shocked by the death of the nine-year-old grey stallion at the Oslo Horse Show on Sunday.

“It was a terrible shock, completely unbelievable”, said Mrs Ahlmann.

Calvados Z had jumped clear in the grand prix class at the Oslo show earlier in the day, but died suddenly in his stall on Sunday afternoon.

The results of the postmortem at Oslo veterinary school will not be known for another day, said Mr Ahlmann.

But speculation from people at the show is that the horse may have suffered a ruptured aorta.

The Holsteiner stallion was bred by Zangerseide and was by Chellano Z out of Cassandra Z.

Calvados Z was owned by Ahlmann’s sponsor Marion Jauss and was the most successful son of his sire, who has been cloned.

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The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) is urging anyone with information about alleged doping by German national riders to contact the investigation they have set up.

The FEI set up an ethics panel to look into the actions of German riders after Marco Kutscher claimed he had used unregistered medication on his horse at the 2008 Olympics.

Then in an interview with a German newspaper, on 24 May, German number one Ludger Beerbaum admitted using illegal practices in his horses.

The German federation reacted by dissolving all its national teams and on Friday (29 May) the FEI announced it was passing on the probe to the professional investigators Quest.

The FEI says it wants to know whether rules have been broken, is so by whom and whether this has affected any Olympic medals.

In a statement the FEI said: “The panel is of the opinion that there may have been breaches of FEI rules by riders, team officials and national federation representatives. It concludes that it should carry out a detailed investigation in order to make specific recommendations to the FEI president on these matters.”

The FEI asks anyone with information to contact Quest in confidence on 0044 20 7224 4004.

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Germany has disbanded all its national dressage, show jumping and eventing teams, and suspended show jumper Ludger Beerbaum from competition, in the wake of further suggestions of doping and medication of horses.

And the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has called for the suspension of the former secretary general of the German equestrian federation — Deutsche Reilterliche Verinigung — Hanfried Haring from the FEI bureau.

Yesterday (28 May) the German federation stated all teams had been shelved and that any rider wishing to ride for Germany would be vetted by an independent panel to be set up by the German Olympic committee.

The panel will meet next month to look into the allegations.

On 4 May rider Marco Kutscher admitted using arnica and lactanese on his horse Cornet Oblensky in an interview with a German magazine (news, 14 May).

Following the revelation the FEI announced the setting up of an ethics committee to investigate the actions of German show jumpers at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Kutscher’s team mate Christian Ahlmann was among five show jumpers whose horses tested positive for prohibited substances in Hong Kong last August (news, 28 August 2008).

Now Beerbaum has told a German newspaper that he has also used illegal practices on his horses.

“In the past I had the attitude that anything that could not be detected was allowed,” he is reported to have told Frankfurter Allgemeine.

FN president Breido Graf zu Rantzau said: “We want to take an important step towards credibility with the disbanding of the squads.”

The FEI has requested the suspension of Marco Kutscher and former team vet Bjorn Nolting from all FEI activities pending the results of the ethics committee.

And it says Mr Haring should also be suspended from the FEI Bureau “on the basis that he had knowledge of the relevant facts and did not report them to the relevant authorities”.

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German show jumper Christian Ahlmann has today been ordered to give back all prize-money and medals won since August 2008 after bans and fines imposed for his Olympic doping offence were increased.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) today upheld a complaint by the German Equestrian Federation that sanctions meted out to Ahlmann by the FEI — the governing body of horse sport — were “too mild”.

Last October, German show jumper Ahlmann was disciplined by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) after his Olympic ride, Cöster tested positive for capsaicin, a banned substance, during the Olympic Games in August.

The FEI banned Ahlmann from competition for four months and fined a total of CHF3,500 (£1,830). But the German Equestrian Federation — the Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung (DRV) — immediately appealed the decision to CAS.

This afternoon, the CAS upheld DRV’s appeal, banning Ahlmann from competition for eight months — to run from 21 August 2008 to 20 April 2009.

“All results during this period will be cancelled, and all medals and prize-money must be forfeited,” said a CAS statement this afternoon.

Christian Ahlmann has also been ordered to pay CHF5,000 (£3,000) towards legal costs incurred by DRV.

In October, DRV general secretary Dr Hanfried Haring told H&H the rider would not be considered for German national and international teams for two years. He was also asked to refund transport and accommodation costs incurred by himself and his horse at the Olympics.

Dr Haring had said: “The FEI’s punishment is not in accordance with the code of the world anti-doping agency or regulations of the DRV. The punishment should serve as an example.”

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The German Equestrian Federation yesterday appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to at least double the competition ban imposed on its rider Christian Ahlmann.

The German rider’s horse, Cöster, tested positive for a banned substance, capsaicin, during the Olympic Games in August.

In October, Christian Ahlmann was given a four-month competition ban by the governing body of horse sport, the FEI (International Equestrian Federation).

The FEI’s disciplinary tribunal also fined the German rider about £1,000 and ordered him to pay around £785 costs — in what it described as a “medication case”.

But the German Equestrian Federation immediately said the sanctions were “too mild” and announced they would appeal.

That appeal — to the highest court in sport, the CAS — was officially lodged yesterday.

In a statement, CAS said: “The German Federation considers that Christian Ahlmann committed a doping violation rather than a medication rule violation.

“It requests that the rider be declared ineligible for a period of no less than eight months.”

The case will now be considered by the CAS, which generally takes around four months to deliver a final ruling.

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Germany’s equestrian federation has announced that sanctions imposed by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) against its show jumper Christian Ahlmann are “too mild”.

Mr Ahlmann was banned from competition for four months and fined CHfr2,000 (£1,046) with CHfr1,500 (£785) costs by the FEI tribunal on 22 October, after his Olympic ride Cöster tested positive for a banned substance, capsaicin, during the Olympic Games in August. His ban runs until 18 December.

But Dr Hanfried Haring, general secretary of the German federation, the Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung (DRV), plans to refer the result to the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) in a bid to seek a longer ban.

“A four-month ban is too mild,” said Dr Haring. “The punishment is not in accordance with the code of the world anti-doping agency or regulations of the DRV. The punishment should serve as an example.

“As a result, we shall be taking the case to the CAS to ask for a more severe sanction.”

Mr Ahlmann will not be considered for German national and international teams for two years, said Dr Haring. The rider will also be asked to refund transport and accommodation costs incurred by himself and his horse at the Olympics.

Mr Alhmann was not available for comment.

Read this story in full in today’s Horse & Hound (30 October, ’08)

• Discuss this latest development in the

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German show jumper Christian Ahlmann has been fined and banned from competition after his horse tested positive for a banned drug at this summer’s Olympics.

Ahlmann has been banned from competing for four months and fined 2,000 Swiss Francs (£1,046) with 1,500 Swiss Francs (£785) costs, by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).

Ahlmann’s horse, Coster, tested positive for a banned substance, capsaicin, in Hong Kong during the Beijing Olympic Games in August.

His ban from competition runs until 18 December.

Ahlmann was one of five Olympic show jumpers to be investigated for suspected horse doping offences in Hong Kong.

The FEI disciplinary tribunal has so far fined and banned from competition, for periods of up to four and a half months, Brazilian riders Rodrigo Pessoa and Bernardo Alves and Irishman Denis Lynch.

Traces of the same drug — capsaicin — were found in all of the riders’ horses.

A decision has still to be made by the tribunal in the case of Norwegian rider Tony Andre Hansen.

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The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has now held hearings into five allegations of doping of show jumping horses at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Decisions are expected shortly in the cases of Brazilian riders Bernardos Alves (Chupa Chup) and Rodrigo Pessoa (Rufus) and Irish rider Denis Lynch (Lantinus 3) pictured right.

Second hearings may be held in the cases of Tony Andre Hansen of Norway and Camiro and Christian Ahlmann of Germany and Coster.

Bernardo Alves and Denis Lynch have both had appeals against interim suspensions turned down.

All the riders are alleged to have used banned products containing a derivative of the chilli pepper on their horses.

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