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Olympic champion has a baby on the way, the dramatic rescue of a veteran, and other things the horse world is talking about

Horse & Hound’s daily debrief, brought to you every weekday
Sarah Jenkins Sarah Jenkins

    • 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.

    Read more about this couple

    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.”

    All about this fabulous mare

    Laura Klaphake

    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.”

    Read more about this rescue

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    Sarah Jenkins
    Sarah Jenkins

    H&H editor-in-chief
    Sarah has more than 20 years experience as an equestrian journalist and editor. She has reported from major championships including the Europeans and the World Equestrian Games. She has co-written books on equestrianism including The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horses & Ponies. Sarah has ridden since childhood, owned horses and ponies for over 25 years, and worked for and trained with Olympic gold medallist event rider Leslie Law prior to going to university.
    Sarah Jenkins

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