Olympic champion has a baby on the way, the dramatic rescue of a veteran, and other things the horse world is talking about
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Happy news for Olympic gold medallist
German Olympic gold medallist Christian Kukuk and his partner, US showjumper Veronica Tracy, have announced they are expecting a baby girl this spring.
“2024 was everything… but 2025 looks like it might just be more,” said 35-year-old Veronica, who added that she was “so grateful for all of it”.
Christian learned of the pregnancy immediately before the individual final at the Paris Olympics, which he went on to win – in doing so becoming the first German showjumper to win individual Olympic gold since Ulrich Kirchoff in 1996.
Olympic mare retires after top career
Catch Me If You Can OLD has retired from an incredible showjumping career that included medal wins, Olympic, world and European Championships. She is 17. The mare enjoyed international success with Czech rider Anna Kellnerová as well as Germany’s Laura Klaphake. Anna said: “I can’t wait for your next chapter in life, taking time for yourself in the fields and hopefully having a few future champion foals.”
Laura Klaphake rides Catch Me If You Can OLD at the World Equestrian Games in 2018. Credit: Peter Nixon.
31-year-old horse rescued after three hours upside down
Rupert, a 31-year-old horse, was stuck upside-down in a ditch for three hours as an animal rescue unit had to be sent from the next county.
Keeper Darren Woods praised the Kent Fire and Rescue Service unit who came to Rupert’s aid when the West Sussex Fire & Rescue was unavailable.
“We were hacking home, at a place where the water runs through a pipe,” he said. “The [other] horse spooked and took a step back, so Rupert stepped back too. He was right on the edge of the bank, it gave way and he sat down. The lad on him got off but Rupert couldn’t get up, and slid sideways into the ditch.
“The horse has a heart of steel,” Darren added. “And we were very lucky; it was mild and not wet. If it had been raining, he’d have been in deeper water, or if he’d been in the water and it was freezing – luckily everything was on our side that day, and the rescuers were amazing.”
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