Whereas victors Matt Sampson and Ebolensky had been the undisputed stars of the concluding Turkish Airways London grand prix on the London Worldwide Horse Present, one other pair who made it by to the four-way jump-off additionally caught the attention.
Denis Lynch was driving the youngest horse within the subject, the eight-year-old Casall stallion Darkish Chocolate 48, a horse that has lengthy impressed because the Germany-based Irishman produces him fastidiously, however who actually got here of age within the five-star area in London and appears set for a really vivid future, each within the ring and as a breeding stallion.
“We’ve had him some time and have simply been quietly growing him,” Denis tells H&H. “I felt within the final couple of weeks he was growing very nicely and we thought we’d give it a shot on Monday evening in London and he actually stood as much as it, so I used to be delighted along with his run, it was actually good, particularly with him being simply an eight-year-old.
“It was fairly a tough, delicate observe as nicely, in order that was very, excellent of him.”
Darkish Chocolate’s first spherical clear in Monday’s (19 December) competitors was foot excellent and the German-bred stallion simply confirmed his inexperience when selecting up eight faults towards the clock. The younger stallion was absolutely accepted this 12 months and his grand-dam on his maternal facet is Wisma, the mom of the good Cassini I, and Denis has excessive hopes for the household’s rising star.
“Possibly we’ll do some assortment from him subsequent 12 months, however not an excessive amount of as a result of mentally he’s excellent and we need to hold him like that and simply attempt to develop him within the ring, to make him the very best horse potential,” says Denis. “He clearly has an excellent pedigree – he’d be from one of many perfect Holstein households. So he might be excellent later, I’m simply so blissful to have him.”
‘It’s essential purchase this horse’
Denis first teamed up with Darkish Chocolate as a seven-year-old in 2021, and so they made their worldwide debut in younger horse lessons final September.
“He was leaping small lessons nationally and he nonetheless belonged to his breeder and co-owner,” reveals Denis. “Vincent Voorn instructed me about him and mentioned he thought I ought to comply with this horse up a bit and sit on him and we did that. We tried him and we weren’t actually that certain, however my spouse mentioned ‘I believe you’ll want to attempt to purchase this horse’ and we did. So my spouse pushed me into it.”
The pair gained the younger horse finals on the World Cup Closing at Leipzig this 12 months then competed in just a few two-star reveals together with in grands prix.
“We then left him for a bit, we saved him working however mentally simply let him actually calm down for a bit,” says Denis.
Their first present again was the five-star World Cup present at Stuttgart the place the aptly named Darkish Chocolate jumped clear in each class.
“He’d by no means jumped a 1.50m however we took him in a 1.55m and had a few time faults however was actually good,” says Denis. “Then simply to check him and to see what he was like mentally we put him within the six bar [at Madrid] and he jumped two rounds of that which is a extremely good signal of character in a horse.
“So I believed, let’s see how he runs right here in London and he actually took it nicely, so I used to be delighted,” mentioned Denis of their fourth place end within the grand prix.
New stalllion for Denis Lynch: Vistogrand
Denis now runs the very profitable Elite Stallions and not too long ago purchased the nine-year-old high class stallion Vistogrand from Shane Breen. Carron Nicol bred Vistogrand in Nice Britain by her grand prix stallion Fantaland out of her Mr Visto mare Vistolano.
“He appears to be like like a giant, classical horse and once more has a really fascinating pedigree – it’s not a pedigree that’s actually about in Europe and I believe he appears to be like like he has the makings of a extremely good sire, which once more is the thought behind it,” says Denis.
“They must be good competitors horses, however the objective for Vistogrand can also be hopefully to make a great sire. However he’s an excellent horse, mentally very form, I’m delighted with him,” he provides, having additionally completed within the cash on the London Worldwide with the 10-year-old Cornet Obolensky stallion Cornets Iberio.
“A variety of horses like him missed their nine-year-old 12 months due to the pandemic so that they didn’t get that many outings, so he was excellent and he’s a really fascinating stallion. We’re attempting to construct the following era.”
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