Nicknamed Tiny at home, this stallion is a fighter in the ring but an affectionate softy in the stable. Jennifer Donald meets Denis Lynch’s Tokyo prospect
Cristello
Age: 14
Height: 176cm (nearly 17.2hh)
Breeding: KWPN by Numero Uno out of Volstelle (by Voltaire)
Rider: Denis Lynch (Ireland)
Breeder: Wilma Wigink-Markvoort (Netherlands)
Owner: Onyx Consulting
Greatest achievements: won CSI5* grand prix, Saint-Tropez (September 2020), won the CSI5* Golden Drum of Basel (January 2020); jumped in top-league Nations Cups and won the silver medal at the Dutch championships with Kevin Jochems (2019).
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"}
You can also read this feature in the 27 May issue of Horse & Hound magazine.
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Credit: TREVOR MEEKS
“I cannot be a true competitor without my team”
H&H showjumping editor
Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.