Medalist riders make for a great show

The big names of equitation are what draw crowds to a horse show, and at San Patrignano’s CSI5* there is no shortage of “celebrities” with a total of 48 medals earned at Olympics, World and European Championships.

First among the multi-medalists is German legend Ludger Beerbaum, who has made his way to the podium nineteen times (the only athlete in the world to have won at least one gold in the Olympics, World and European Championships. Then we have his teammate Marco Kutscher, bronze at the Athens Olympics in 2004 on Montender, with which he also won the individual and team gold at the 2005 European Championship at San Patrignano.

Their compatriot Christian Ahlmann comes in with a total of six medals while Ireland’s Jessica Kuerten has a team gold from Arnhem ’94. Two Dutch riders Albert Zoer and Jeroem Dubbeldam have respectively three and six medals to their names, while their teammate Leon Thijssen has a team bronze from San Patrignano’s European Championship in 2005. Swiss rider Beat Mandli has won three medals on his unforgettable Positano, as well as a World Cup victory. Sweden’s Helena Lundback has a silver medal from the World Championship at Jerez de la Frontera , while Norwegian rider Geir Gulliksen won a bronze at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

Not all the stars of the show come from abroad: there are quite a few “homegrown” Italian riders offering a high level of accomplishment. The silver medalists from Windsor, Natale Chiaudiani, Giuseppe D’Onofrio and Juan Carlos Garcia are all set to compete. Garcia also brings a silver medal in eventing from the European Championship at Fontainebleau 2009. No other rider has ever accomplished this feat.