Taloubet’s fairytale finish

This latest retiree in the spotlight is Taloubet Z, winner with World No.17 Christian Ahlmann of the Longines FEI World Cup Grand Prix of Leipzig. Indeed, the city located southwest of Berlin is near and dear to pair’s heart, a place where they have not only won this same World Cup qualifier in previous years, but also the FEI World Cup Final itself, in 2011.

Taloubet has accompanied Germany’s Ahlmann at the highest level of the sport since 2009 (previously having been ridden by Ahlmann’s partner and the horse’s owner Judy Ann Melchior), winning millions of euros in prize money and titles or medals at the Olympics, European Championships and the FEI World Cup. And on Sunday, the 43-year-old rider was emotional after his handsome mount’s last class.

“I really didn’t want to mess it up for him! This was just a normal World Cup, like we have every week,” Ahlmann said. “But it was very special because it was the last class for Taloubet, and we took the risk to jump him so he could say goodbye, here where everyone knows him, and leave the sport in great shape. So to have a good result and to finish with a proper round like that under pressure, it makes me so happy! It’s the greatest day of my life for sure, not for the points or for the money, it’s much more than that. It’s because this great horse who still has all this power even at this age is ending his career in a great way, with a great win!”

With three qualifiers to go in the Western European League — Zurich, Bordeaux and Gothenburg — Ahlmann has now qualified for the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping 2018 Final in Paris after his Leipzig win over runners-up runners-up Carlos Lopez and Admara from Colombia and Dutchman Harrie Smolders with Zinius.. The current standings are here. But this weekend the focus was on his distinguished horse. “Today is all about Taloubet,” summed up Lopez.