Latest from Horse & Hound in Shutterfly

‘His groom would stay up all night playing him classical music’: 8 things that may surprise you about the legendary Shutterfly

Jennifer Donald — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 13:02:01 +0000

With the sad news last week that the legendary showjumping horse Shutterfly had died at the age of 30, we wanted to celebrate the unforgettable gelding and the phenomenal 12-year partnership he had with his devoted rider Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum.

The full story of Shutterfly’s rise to stardom is an emotional journey, but when he reached the top, he dazzled us with his presence, athleticism and apparent will to win. Here, Meredith reveals some often surprising things about this beautiful bay gelding, who will be remembered as one of the most successful showjumping horses of all time.

Classical music helped Shutterfly to relax

Meredith and her devoted groom of 25 years, Anu Harrila, took on the role of “safety blanket” to the “spooky and sensitive” Shutterfly.

“Sometimes at shows Anu would stay in his stall all night playing classical music to help him relax – he was high maintenance!” says Meredith. “But that’s what made him special and he was absolutely worth it.”

His original name was Struwwelpeter

The German-bred Silvio I gelding was originally named Struwwelpeter, after a character in a German fairytale on whom the movie Edward Scissorhands was based. When he was purchased for Meredith, Struwwelpeter was renamed Shutterfly after his new owner Jim Clark’s US digital photo company, although his stable name “Petey” remained.

“I liked the name Shutterfly because it was elegant and so suited him,” says Meredith.

2D2FPF4 Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum rides on her horse Shutterfly during the show jumping Grand Prix at the World Equestrian Festival CHIO in Aachen July 6, 2008. Albert Zoer of the Netherlands won the competition ahead of Ludger Beerbaum and Carsten-Otto Nagel of Germany. REUTERS/Alex Grimm (GERMANY) BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE (Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)

He won three World Cup Finals, the third at the age of 16

Meredith and Shutterfly completed a hat-trick at this prestigious event, winning in 2005, 2008 and 2009.

“The icing on the cake was the third one when he won every single leg and he never made a mistake, and that’s very rare,” says Meredith.

Meredith never rode Shutterfly in prize-givings

Although exceptionally brave over fences, Shutterfly was anxious about his surroundings and many people will remember the scenes as he struggled to cope with the four-way horse-swap at the World Championships in 2006. He was sensitive to loud noises and jumping him indoors proved difficult at times, but Meredith discovered early on that prize-givings would push him over the edge.

“He would freak out, pawing and sweating, until finally one day he got so upset he almost lay down in the ring,” recalls Meredith. “That was the last prize-giving I ever rode him in, when he was nine.”

KG6C59 Olympic Games 2008, Hong Kong (Beijing Games) August 2008, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER) riding Shutterfly, team jumping final (Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)

Shutterfly won medals at the European and World Championship, but never at the Olympics

In a highly decorated career together, Meredith and Shutterfly won team and individual bronze at WEG in 2006 and team silver and individual gold at the Europeans in 2007. However, they just missed out at the Olympics, finishing fourth after a seven-way jump-off to Eric Lamaze and Hickstead in 2008.

“I felt so responsible for Shutterfly because I knew it would be his last Olympics and he wasn’t going to win a medal,” says Meredith.

He would bolt if horses came up behind him

At Meredith’s home in Thedinghausen, Germany, there was an unspoken rule that every time Shutterfly was cantering, everyone else had to stop and walk.

“That was how much he’d earned his place on the yard,” says Meredith. “But he would bolt if he heard the noise of hooves coming behind him in our arena.”

AACHEN, GERMANY - JULY 13: Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum of Germany on her horse Shutterfly celebrates after winning the Warsteiner jumping competition at the CHIO on July 13, 2011 in Aachen, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images) (Image credit: Bongarts/Getty Images)

The pair won more than €3.5million in prize-money

Durning a phenomenal 12 years together in the ring, Meredith and Shutterfly won a glittering array of accolades, including the grand prix of Aachen in 2005, a brace of Top 10 Finals (2004 and 2006) and more than 20 top-level grands prix and World Cup qualifiers. He also helped Meredith to achieve the world number one spot, the first female rider to do so.

“He blossomed into one of the greatest horses to ever live,” says Meredith.

Petey enjoyed his retirement at Meredith’s home

After his retirement from the sport at Aachen in 2011 (pictured winning his final competition, above) at the age of 18, Shutterfly enjoyed a “chilled” retirement for the next 12 years at Meredith’s home.

“He will live in our hearts forever,” says Meredith.

As Meredith says of her beloved Shutterfly, “Everyone dreams of having a wonderful partnership in their lives, whether it’s with a husband or a child – in my case it was with a horse.” They’ve undoubtedly earned their place in showjumping history – Shutterfly and Meredith, a partnership we will never forget.

‘One of the greatest horses to ever live’: legendary showjumper dies aged 30

Eleanor Jones — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 13:57:48 +0000

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum has paid tribute to the incomparable Shutterfly, the “greatest partner anyone could ever have”.

The legendary showjumper, who won three World Cup Finals and individual European gold with Meredith in their stellar career together, died on 28 January, aged 30.

“It is with a very heavy heart that I am sad to announce that we lost Shutterfly this morning,” Meredith said. “He was a unique and irreplaceable part of our lives.”

Meredith spotted the Silvio I gelding as a six-year-old; a “doubtful, unsure youngster” who “blossomed into one of the greatest horses to ever live”.

“He won three World Cup finals, two top ten finals, the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen, amongst many other prestigious titles,” she said. “He brought me to the top of the world ranking list, as the only women ever, where I was able to enjoy #1 for 24 months.”

Meredith and “Petey” finished fourth individually at the 2008 Olympics and won individual and team bronze for Germany at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen. He also jumped – and won – his last class at Aachen in 2011, beating the best in the world to take the Preis von Europa aged 18.

He had since been enjoying his retirement with Meredith at home.

“We will miss the kind and sweet-hearted Petey who stuck his nose in the baby carriage and softly nuzzled my daughter Brianne just days after she was born,” Meredith said. “I am sure that caress gave her the passionate love for horses she has today.

“I will miss you my friend and I appreciate every moment I had with you. You were the greatest partner anyone could ever have. You will never be forgotten Petey. Rest in peace my love.”

‘I never wanted it to end’: Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum on her legendary partnership with Shutterfly H&H Plus

Jennifer Donald — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 15:00:40 +0000

This sensitive soul may have relaxed to classical music in his stable, but in the arena he was a powerhouse, says Jennifer Donald, winning a hat-trick of World Cup Finals

“Everyone dreams of having a wonderful partnership in their lives, whether it’s with a husband or a child — in my case, it was with a horse,” says Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, talking of course about Shutterfly.

The exquisitely beautiful bay gelding was a powerhouse in the ring, helping his petite rider secure victory in three World Cup Finals, the Aachen grand prix and a European Championship during a 12-year relationship in which they ruled the world. But behind Shutterfly’s dazzling stage presence lay a complex character, who was plagued by anxiety in his younger days and never felt fully comfortable in his sporting surroundings.

US-born German rider Meredith discovered a six-year-old Shutterfly competing at a national show near her home in northern Germany during the summer of 1999.

“He certainly made an impression on me when he came in the ring — how beautiful and elegant he was,” remembers Meredith. “His jump was nice and easy, but it wasn’t flashy and he definitely wasn’t showing the tremendous scope he had later. So when he finished the course, I asked the rider if the horse was for sale.”

Shutterfly’s breeder Uwe Dreesmann still owned him and wasn’t prepared to sell his Hanoverian son of Silvio I, but six months later he changed his mind and Meredith received the call that would change her life.

“I went to try him with my husband Markus and we liked him a lot,” says Meredith. “We did not see his potential as one of the best horses in the world at that time, but he struck us as a nice prospect. So we actually bought a half share in him to start with.”

But things did not bode too well when Meredith took “Petey” to his first show in Verden.

“He was so di ffiult that I thought he was going to knock a lot of rails in the ring,” she recalls. “He had no concentration – he was terriffied. I said to my groom as I walked in, ‘I hope this round is not a complete disaster.’

“He was so spooky, I could barely get him to the first fence. Then, magically, he flew up in the air over that jump and soared over the whole course – he gave every fence at least two feet. I’d expected him to get smaller and afraid in the ring, but actually he grew three sizes. In that round he’d shown all his scope and talent; it was amazing. I said to my husband, ‘We have to buy the rest of this horse!’”

But Meredith explains it was a very long road to the top for this sensitive and insecure soul.

“I was lacking in horsepower so, even though he was only seven, Shutterfly came to all the big international shows and jumped the smaller classes – which were actually around 1.45m. He grew up quickly!” she says. “He was still spooky and sensitive, but very brave and he always tried his best – he was proving very good.”

That summer in Aachen, Meredith’s top horse Stella was just returning from injury and the opportunity arose for Shutterfly to step up a level.

“I rode him in the opening 1.45m and he jumped it so well, we decided to put him in the big class later that day – a 1.50m/1.55m qualifier for the grand prix,” explains Meredith. “He jumped clear until I came round to the final combination, which was a double of gates with round Liverpools [water trays] underneath, which heavy rain was splattering on. He stopped and I fell off.”

It took Meredith a whole year to regain Shutterfly’s trust.

“He would not forgive me for putting him in that class,” Meredith says, sadly. “He was way spookier, scared of everything and he would refuse anything that looked a bit unusual – I fell off a lot. My husband and I really thought we’d lost him forever and felt terribly responsible for our mistake. We did it because we thought he could handle it and we were trying to protect my other horse, but it was a bad decision.”

To regain his confidence, Meredith dropped Shutterfly right back down to jumping small classes and the following summer “he was able to shine again”.

His anxieties continued to simmer, however. He was extremely sensitive to loud noises so jumping indoors was particularly difficult, but it was prize-givings that pushed him over the edge.

From then on, Meredith and her groom Anu Harrila took on the role as Shutterfly’s “safety blanket”.

“He was so terrified, he would walk to the ring with his head pasted to Anu’s back,” says Meredith. “Sometimes at shows, she would stay in his stall all night playing classical music to help him relax – he was high maintenance! But that’s what made him special and he was absolutely worth it.”

He enjoyed a wonderful bond with Anu, who has been Meredith’s groom for 25 years and says she was “very lucky to have been part of Shutterfly’s career”.

“I always had great belief that he was going to be amazing and I don’t think I’ve had that with any other horse,” says Swedish-born Anu. “He was cautious of people, but when you got to know him he became a great friend.”

He became more confident as he got older, although he was still easily upset.

“But the minute he trotted into the ring, it was as though he knew his job; he was no longer afraid and jumped everything that was in front of him,” says Meredith. “In the end, he was so confident he would trot into the ring at the Olympics or the World Cup Final with his chest puffed out and his head raised – he knew he was good! He was just very insecure about it.”

Drawing on so many memories with her charismatic gelding, Meredith picks out her hat-trick of World Cup Finals in 2005, 2008 and 2009 as a “tremendous” highlight – “just perfect”, in fact.

“The icing on the cake was the third one when he won every single leg and he never made a mistake, and that’s very rare; he was 16 years old, too,” she says. “We had strong competition that year with McLain Ward on Sapphire, who was second in every leg, breathing down our necks.”

Meredith describes the 2008 Olympics, where she finished fourth individually after joining a seven-way jump-off for the bronze medal, as a “heartbreaker”.

“I went into the jump-off and thought, ‘Come on Shutterfly, we have to give it our best and ride for the medal,’” she says. “I actually had one of the best jump-offs of my life and I was almost 100% sure I had that medal.”

But she hadn’t factored in McLain Ward spotting a cheeky shortcut over a decorative hedge and it opened the door for Beezie Madden to beat her time and claim bronze. “I didn’t even imagine that was allowed, so I can’t tell you the disappointment of being caught off guard and losing the medal because of it,” says Meredith. “I also felt so responsible for Shutterfly – I knew it would be his last Olympics and he wasn’t going to win a medal. “He won so many great events, but most memorable was the day I became world number one and he, along with Checkmate, was largely to be thanked for that. I maintained that number one spot for a total of 24 months, although not consecutively, so it just showed how consistent he was over a really long period.”

Meredith and Shutterfly t the 2008 Olympics (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Also among Shutterfly’s extensive roll of honour is the individual European crown – which they won with four faultless rounds – a list of global grands prix too numerous to mention and a brace of Rolex Top 10 Finals. But many people will remember the scenes at the World Equestrian Games at Aachen in 2006, when the pair helped the German team to win bronze before taking centre stage as the top four riders swapped horses to decide the individual medals.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and incredible to be part of,” says Meredith. “But for such a sensitive horse, it was really tough. He had to remain in that ring, with all the noise and crowds and he got so stressed he didn’t know what he was supposed to do.

“It was like seeing somebody hurting my child – I had to look away.”

Meredith won bronze, but again the experience haunted Shutterfly for a long time afterwards.

In the ring, Meredith and Shutterfly produced a striking image – the rider with her trademark long rein and the softest hands, with the sublimely handsome gelding’s ears pricked forward as he gamely soared over the biggest obstacles. What gave him the winning edge?

“You never felt he was even trying, let alone giving full effort over the jumps,” explains Meredith. “He sailed through a triple combination at Aachen – one of the world’s hardest courses – like he was doing gymnastics at home. He was athletic and

so adjustable; as a rider, you had utmost confidence that if you messed up a distance, he could handle it. Indoors or outdoors, sand or grass, night classes, it didn’t matter – any facility suited him, that’s what made him so amazing.”

At Meredith’s home in Thedinghausen, Germany, Shutterfly has deservedly always reigned as king.

“In his older age, he became much more laid-back; he could even be lazy and I would let him – he was the king, he could do as he wanted,” says Meredith. “But he would bolt if he heard the noise of hooves coming behind him in our arena, so there was this unspoken rule that every time Shutterfly was cantering, everyone else had to stop and walk. That was how much he’d earned his place on the yard. Nobody said a word, nobody would complain, they just all knew the rules!”

The decision to close the curtain on Shutterfly’s phenomenal career came at Aachen in 2011 when the gelding was 18.

“He was still jumping well and we were carefully placing him in the right classes in consideration of his age,” says Meredith. “Then he won the Prize of Europe at Aachen – one of the biggest events of the show – and it was just incredible. I had tears even when he jumped clear in the first round, then to win it against the best horses and riders in the world…

“That was when Markus suggested we retire him. I said, ‘No! Are you kidding? He’s so good!’ But we had the same discussion every evening over dinner. I went to bed on Saturday night thinking about it and woke up on Sunday absolutely sure that it was the right thing to do. I thought, ‘He’s my best friend – what would he do for you?’ and he would let me stop right at the top when I was still at my best, so that’s what I owed him.

“But it was the perfect partnership and I never wanted it to end.”

Shutterfly at his final competition in Aachen (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Now 28, the “sweet and kind” Petey is out in the field at Meredith’s home and “having a great time – totally chilled about everything”.

“I’m sure there are riders who could have produced him equally well, but it was our partnership that made it so successful,” reflects an emotional Meredith. “It was a give-and-take relationship but I learnt to protect him, and he protected me; we had a mutual love and understanding.

“In the wrong hands, he would never have developed because he was so sensitive and he needed time and to be trusting of his environment. I was also lucky that I had Anu to take care of him his whole life. She is absolutely responsible for all our success.

“He was my lifetime partner and I will cherish that for the rest of my life.”

Michael Whitaker on Shutterfly

“Shutterfly had a right spring, all the scope and he was such a careful type – just a real winner,” remembers Michael, who rode Portofino to finish second behind the pair in the 2005 World Cup Final.

“He had to jump clear to beat me but had a really shaky moment in the warm-up [when he wouldn’t even jump a cross-pole] and I thought ‘Well, he has no chance now’ – I was sure I’d won the World Cup Final.

“But he jumped round and the nearest he got to a fence was about a foot! I was cursing him at the time, but could appreciate his brilliance.

“Meredith rode him with an unbelievable amount of confidence,” Michael continues. “You never saw her push to the big oxers and he wasn’t a big horse. He was reliable too, over many years – he was no flash in the pan.

“Would I have liked him in my string? I wouldn’t have minded having a go, but it would have been difficult to ride him better than Meredith.”

How Shutterfly got his name

Shutterfly was originally named Struwwelpeter, a character from a German fable on whom the movie Edward Scissorhands was based.

“Struwwelpeter was this young boy who was really messy, never washed his hair and never cut his nails – it was totally not Shutterfly!” laughs Meredith. “He was gorgeous, elegant and glamorous, not at all dirty or mischievous.”

The gelding was bought for Meredith by Jim and Nancy Clark, who owned US digital photo company Shutterfly, and was renamed with the far more pronounceable moniker, although the shortened “Petey” remained his stable name.

“I liked the name Shutterfly because it was elegant and so suited him,” says Meredith.

Ref: 18 February 2021

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum retires Shutterfly at Aachen

Amy Mathieson — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:40:49 +0000

Shutterfly, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum’s popular showjumper, was retired in front of a crowd of 40,000 at CHIO Aachen yesterday (17 July).

After winning the Warsteiner Prize at the show on Wednesday (13 July), Meredith decided yesterday to withdraw Shutterfly from that day’s grand prix and retire him while he was still on top.

Shutterfly has been with Meredith since he was six years old, but hasn’t taken part in a prizegiving since he was nine due to his aversion to noise and applause.

Meredith said she was “overwhelmed” by the win last week. “This is my thank you to him,” she said on his retirement.

The 18-year-old by Silvio I and out of Famm has won two World Cup finals, a bronze medal at the 2006 World Equestrian Games and had four Nations Cup victories.

View pictures of Shutterfly at home and in competition

For more see Thursday’s issue of H&H (21 July)

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum expecting her first baby

Amy Mathieson — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:55:07 +0000

Triple World Cup-winning show jumper Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and her husband Markus are expecting their first baby.

“I feel great. Mark and I are both obviously very happy” said Meredith on her website. “At the moment I feel quite well and as long as I feel good, I’ll ride”.

Her World Cup-winning ride Shutterfly will have a break while she is pregnant.

The baby is due early next year.

Listen to interview with Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum wins third World Cup title

Horse & Hound — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:54:32 +0000

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly won their third Rolex World Cup final with another peerless display in Las Vegas.

The world number one, and still the only woman ever to be on a German championship team, described it as the “perfect week,” winning all three legs. She revealed that the win was extra special and dedicated to her father, who died only four weeks ago.

Listen to Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum’s interview

McLain Ward and Sapphire had given her no real margin for error but the superiority of Shutterfly is so marked that he was never going to need it. The pair were in a league of their own throughout.

McLain paid tribute to his former countrywoman and then to his horse. “I honestly don’t think we could have done any more and if we started the week all over again I’d still do it all the same.”

Dutch pair Albert Zoer and Oki Doki were third, staying ahead of 2008 runner-up Rich Fellers and Flexible, who looked out of their depth on the final day after making such an impact in the opening speed test.

Ben Maher and Robin Hood were a fantastic seventh on their World Cup debut, a result Ben described as “quite acceptable.”

Robin Hood’s clear in the final round was awesome and he gave the troublesome triple bar at least two feet. Maher will forever kick himself for booting out first and last fences in earlier rounds as these results are carried forward.

“These were silly mistakes I might have got away with somewhere else, but I was always go to have difficulty in the speed leg and you have to be pleased to have gone this well against combinations with five or more years more experience than me,” said Maher.

He will now rest Robin Hood before starting his campaign for selection for the European championships in August.

Listen to Ben Maher’s interview

Michael Whitaker made the final cut wth Portofino, who was contesting her sixth World Cup, but Michael retired after lowering three spreads.

Don’t miss H&H’s full report on all the action from the World Cup final, on sale Thursday 23 April, ’09

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum on course for third World Cup title

Horse & Hound — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:23:20 +0000

Defending champion Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum remains at the top of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final leaderboard in Las Vegas after winning the second, jump-off leg on Friday.

Last to go in the 13-horse jump-off, the peerless Shutterfly (pictured above) looked if he already has a hat-trick of titles in the bag. With the first two days’ results converted into points, Shutterfly now has a two-penalty lead over the USA’s McLain Ward (Sapphire) and Albert Zoer of Holland (Oki Doki), with last year’s Gothenburg final runner-up, Rich Fellers, holding onto fourth with Flexible.

Listen to Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum’s interview

Switzerland’s Christina Liebherr lost her second-place ranking when No Mercy was distracted by a disturbance on the PA system and had to be re-presented at an oxer. Four faults and further time penalties saw them drop down the order.

Despite lowering a fence in the first round of Friday’s leg, Britain’s Ben Maher and Robin Hood have maintained equal eighth position, though with 14 points they will struggle to make an impression on the leaders. Michael Whitaker and Portofino also had four faults and have dropped three places to 21st.

With Las Vegas unlikely to stage another final until 2015, the home side are desperate for a win, though Ward did not seem certain he could depose Shutterfly.

“I was a bit anxious in the first round which was hard for Sapphire because it all about adding strides, which doesn’t suit her. Today, we just couldn’t have gone any faster.”

First time World Cup course-designer Anthony D’Ambrosio’s Grand Prix track was a triumph, using the irregular shape of the Thomas and Mack arena to test the horses’ lengthening and shortening capabilities. He aimed for eight clears.

“I may have been a bit conservative tonight, because I was thinking ahead to Sunday. I revisited the track over months; in the end you are just pleased when the competition arrives as then the tweaking can stop,” he said.

Friday’s results

1. Meredith Michaels Beerbaum (GER), Shutterfly, 0/32.77 sec, 0 pnts

2. McLain Ward (USA), Sapphire, 0/33.77 sec, 2 pnts

3. Albert Zoer (NED), Okidoki, 0/34.72 sec, 4 pnts

4. Beezie Madden (USA), Danny Boy, 0/34.83 sec, 21 pnts

5. Richard Spooner (USA), Ace, 0/65.97 sec, 15 pnts

6. Helena Lundbäck (SWE), Madick, 0/37.20 sec, 18 pnts

=14. Michael Whitaker (GBR), Portofino, 4/76.11 sec, 19 pnts

=14. Ben Maher (GBR), Robin Hood W, 4/78.19 sec, 14 pnts

Stay in touch with the news from Las Vegas on Horseandhound.co.uk and don’t miss H&H’s full report, on sale 23 April

Ben Maher clear in speed leg of Rolex World Cup finals

Horse & Hound — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:33:29 +0000

Ben Maher got his Rolex World Cup final off to a great start by finishing eighth in the opening speed leg on Thursday night.

Robin Hood made the course in the compact arena at the Thomas and Mack, Las Vegas, look easier than most and although he rubbed the very last — where oblique stripes on the rails offered an optical illusion — his clear round was never in real danger.

Title holder Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly went peerlessly into the lead, ahead of World Cup debutante Christina Liebherr of Switzerland on LB No Mercy and McLain Ward on Sapphire for the USA.

Though going towards the end of the competition, Meredith stuck to her original plan despite seeing just one other rider out of 44 attempt the same options.

“I could do this when maybe others can’t — my horse is old for a show jumper at 16, and I just know him so well,” she added.

Listen to Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum’s interview

Michael Whitaker and Portofino, in their 21st and sixth finals respectively, stand 18th, the only pair to lower the first element of a double.

Lying fourth are Rich Fellers and Flexible. Though runners-up at the final in Gothenburg last year, their presence here results from two remarkable acts of sportsmanship. After a late start in the West Coast league, Flexible was not qualified, so two riders ahead of him – Will Simpson and Jill Humphrey – stood aside, believing Rich was better equipped to win in Las Vegas.

America has been disadvantaged in recent decades as their qualifying rounds take place in spacious outdoor arenas. Indoor finals – particularly at the Thomas and Mack where there are rarely 10 strides between any fence – therefore come as a shock.

To remedy this, West Coast qualifiers were staged in tents, and it seems to have helped as the entire US contingent gave a good account of themselves.

Stay in touch with all the news from Las Vegas as it happens on Horseandhound.co.uk

Shutterfly, the ultimate jumping horse?

Horse & Hound — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:19:14 +0000

Read the latest Shutterfly news

Shutterfly was born on 14th January 1993, sired by Silvio I and out of Famm.

The bay hanovarian gelding (stable name: Petey) is owned by Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, his current rider, and Octavia Farms, LLC. He was discovered as a six-year-old by Californian-born Meredith.

Meredith, who now rides for Germany, rode Shutterfly to victory in the Grand Prix at Olympia in 2003 and in 2004, they took second place at the Rolex FEI World Cup Finals in Milan.

They were omitted from Germany’s Olympic team for the Athens Games following a failed a dope test, but Meredith was later cleared by the Judicial Committee of the International Equestrian Federation following a dispute over procedure.

A year later, the pair won the Grand Prix at Aachen. The same year also saw them win the World Cup Finals for the first time in Las Vegas, a performance Shutterfly repeated three years later when he took the title in Gothenberg.

Find out what other professional show jumpers think of Shutterfly

Shutterfly videos

Shutterfly picture galleries

Shutterfly diamond on sale for cancer charity

Amy Mathieson — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:47:28 +0000

Fans of Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum’s two-times World Cup-winning show jumper Shutterfly could soon own a unique piece of memorabilia — a diamond made out of his hair.

The “Shutterfly Diamond” is up for auction in Germany to raise money for charity.

The large one-carat, white-blue diamond made from the tail hair of Shutterfly has been created by Semper Fides Diamonds in Salzgitter.

Diamonds form naturally at high pressures about 200km below the earth’s surface. The company’s manufacturing process simulates this by heating hair to 2,500°C and isolating the minerals within it to create a diamond.

Semper Fides Diamonds was founded by Thomas Peter in 2006 when he decided to produce diamonds from pets as a special memento for owners.

Herr Peter lost his mother to cancer when he was nine and aims to raise ¤100,000 (£87,732) from the sale for the German cancer support charity Deutsche Krebshilfe EV.

Meredith said: “I am thrilled. Just a few hairs is enough to create something really special for all eternity and every cent helps the fight against cancer.”

In December 2006, a diamond made from Isabell Werth’s grand prix dressage horse Satchmo raised ¤14,000 (£12,275) for the same cancer charity (news, 18 January 2007).

Bids can be made over the summer, culminating in a sale at the German Masters in Stuttgart this November.

Visit www.semperfides.eu

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (12 February, ’09)

Shutterfly: what the pros say

Horse & Hound — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:13:25 +0000

Professionals wish they owned him, fans around the world adore him, so what is it that makes the enigmatic Shutterfly so special? H&H asks the pros what they think.

Laura Renwick, show jumper

“He is the ultimate horse with such an incredible attitude — he’s almost like a machine. He has such a clever brain and in-built satnav — he works out the course almost before Meredith. But most importantly, he’s got the desire to win.”

Graham Fletcher, show jumping producer

“I don’t think anyone should underestimate the ability Meredith has shown in producing Shutterfly — he is a whole project of horsemanship. Everyone looks at the finished result and thinks ‘I could ride that’, but I think it took a woman to get the best results from him, someone who has done everything right for him.”

Jens Uwe Dreesmann, Shutterfly’s breeder

“He was a self-confident and lively foal. When his mother used to lie down in the paddocks, he would spring around and jump over her — he was always very alert and clever. Each year he becomes better and better. The mix of talent and temperament makes him so brilliant.”

Sandy Phillips, dressage rider

“Shutterfly is just unbelievable and I’m trying to get a sport horse like him. I have used his full-brother, Sir Shutterfly, on a very nice mare I bought to event and she has an embryo transfer foal due now.”

View Shutterfly gallery

Read H&H’s in-depth interview with Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum about what makes Shutterfly so special, on sale today (15 May, ’08)

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum: 10 fascinating facts

Horse & Hound — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:20:44 +0000

In December 2004, Meredith became the first woman to top the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) world rankings
Her victory in Gothenburg earlier this year was her second World Cup final win with Shutterfly — the duo also took the honours in 2005 in Las Vegas
Despite her brilliance in the saddle, Meredith’s family had no links with horses — her father is a film director and her mother an actress
She was born in Los Angeles on Boxing Day, 1969
She won an Ivy League place reading politics at Princeton, but gave up on her degree after three years of studying in order to pursue a career with horses
In 1991, Meredith went to Germany to train with the legendary Paul Schockemöhle. She planned to stay only for the summer, but ended up taking full German citizenship after meeting Markus Beerbaum. The pair married in 1998
Meredith is the first woman to ride on a German championship show jumping team
She was crowned individual European champion at Mannheim last summer, where she helped Germany to team silver. She also won two bronze medals at the 2006 World Equestrian Games
Away from riding, Meredith enjoys sailing and scuba-diving
Although she still visits California regularly, Meredith’s adopted country has taken her to its heart and in 2005 she won the Bambi Award, the German equivalent of our Sports Personality Award

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum is world cup champion

Horse & Hound — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:29:28 +0000

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum claimed the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping title for the second time in her career on Sunday (27 April) with a magical performance from Shutterfly.

America’s Rich Fellers created a huge sensation when finishing second with Flexible, a horse who has achieved success against the most incredible odds, while Germany’s Heinrich-Hermann Engemann and Aboyeur W slotted into third.

Britain’s only representative, Michael Whitaker, finished ninth with Suncal Portofino.

Course designer Rolf Ludi built tracks asking huge questions about the rider’s ability to be accurate and the horse’s willingness to stretch themselves to their limit for this 30th anniversary fixture.

But Shutterfly proved more than equal to all of these questions, even when Meredith left the 15-year-old gelding with a lot to do at the triple combination in Sunday’s opening round but the horse just opened up his jump a little more to bring her home clear.

The second round track was shorter but the questions were still big with few able to master the awkward distance to the final fence. Last in to the ring, Shutterfly was like a piece of precision equipment and the crowd rewarded the German partnership with a huge roar as the horse and rider executed the last distance on a perfect four strides.

“I’m very proud to win my second world cup title,” said the rider who previously topped the line-up in Las Vegas in 2005. “Shutterfly showed he was in great form over three days and at 15 he is not young — he was super and he never had a rail down.”

American rider Rich Fellers was a surprise second with Flexible, an Irish-bred 12-year-old stallion by Cruising.

“You don’t know what they can do until you ask them, and when I asked him this week to jump higher and go wider he just kept saying ‘OK’,” the delighted American explained. Their success was all the more incredible because Flexible had previously been operated on for a blocked artery in a foreleg, as well as breaking his shoulder in a freak accident.

Don’t miss this week’s Horse & Hound for an in-depth report of all the action from the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping final

Results

1, Shutterfly (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum) Ger 4/0/0 – 4

2, Flexible (Rich Fellers) USA 2/4/0 – 6

3, Aboyeur W (Heinrich-Hermann Engemann) Ger 5/0/4 – 9

=4, Ideo du Thot (Beat Mandli) Sui 4/8/0 – 12

=4, All Inclusive NRW (Ludger Beerbaum) Ger 4/4/4 – 12

=4, Castle Forbes Libertina (Jessica Kuerten) Ger 0/8/4 – 12

=7, Esplanade (Peter Wylde) USA 3/12/0 – 15

=7, Tresor (Steve Guerdat) Sui 10/0/5 – 15

9, Suncal Portofino (Michael Whitaker) GBR 8/5/5 – 18

10, Ninja la Silla (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) Swe 15/0/4 – 19

World’s top jumpers contest Top Ten title

Horse & Hound — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 14:04:21 +0000

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly soared to success at the sixth IJRC Top Ten Final sponsored by Rolex in Geneva on Saturday. This was the second time the partnership had won this prestigious event after proving unbeatable in 2004.

The German rider was one of the favourites to take the substantial €50,000 winners purse, following her recent run of superb form which included winning the Munich Grand Prix and the FEI World Cup qualifier in Stuttgart, as well as finishing second in the Riders Tour final.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to win this competition again” said Meredith. “Shutterfly is the best horse in the world and I’m very proud of him. It has been so great that he could come out after two months rest following the World Equestrian Games in Aachen and find form again so quickly. This is a fantastic way for him to finish his year – I’m really delighted for him.”

Michael Whitaker was carrying British hopes in the final. A brisk first round performance on board Insul Tech Mozart des Hayettes to pick up two time penalties led the ground jury to re-consider the time allowed, reducing Michael’s penalties to just one.

Michael produced a clear inside the time at his second attempt but frustratingly it was only good enough for fourth place at the end of the competition. Afterwards he blamed himself for his first-round timing error. “It was stupid,” he said, knowing that the Top Ten title had slipped from his grasp.

Top Ten Final results

1, Shutterfly (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum) GER 0/0 45.15;

2, MacKinley (Rolf Goran Bengtsson) SWE 0/0 47.38;

3, Eurocommerce Monaco (Gerco Schroder) NED 0/0 51.19;

4, Insul Tech Mozart des Hayettes (Michael Whitaker) GBR 1/0 56.56;

5, Nirmette (Markus Fuchs) SUI 0/4 47.00;

6, Lincoln (Albert Zoer) ND 4/0 47.57;

7, Gitania (Marcus Ehning) GER 4/4 51.85;

8, Jipey Dark (Jessica Kuerten) IRL 4/5 58.90;

9, Lorenzo (Christian Ahlmann) GER 0/1 49.75;

10, Gladdys S (Ludger Beerbaum) GER 0/Elim.

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“It is with a very heavy heart that I am sad to announce that we lost Shutterfly this morning,” Meredith said. “He was a unique and irreplaceable part of our lives.”

Meredith spotted the Silvio I gelding as a six-year-old; a “doubtful, unsure youngster” who “blossomed into one of the greatest horses to ever live”.

“He won three World Cup finals, two top ten finals, the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen, amongst many other prestigious titles,” she said. “He brought me to the top of the world ranking list, as the only women ever, where I was able to enjoy #1 for 24 months.”

He had since been enjoying his retirement with Meredith at home.

“We will miss the kind and sweet-hearted Petey who stuck his nose in the baby carriage and softly nuzzled my daughter Brianne just days after she was born,” Meredith said. “I am sure that caress gave her the passionate love for horses she has today.

“I will miss you my friend and I appreciate every moment I had with you. You were the greatest partner anyone could ever have. You will never be forgotten Petey. Rest in peace my love.”

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