The 2024 Olympics are going on at the time of writing this article, and senior horses are making headlines. Senior horses are considered as 15 years of age or older. That means horses foaled in 2009 or before. While we might not know the exact foaling date of all of the horses foaled in 2009, we are including them in this article as seniors.
2024 Gold Medal Senior Horses
Michael Jung of Germany won his third Gold Medal (individual) at an Olympic Games in 2024. Jung rode Chipmunk FRH. That horse was foaled in 2008.
Great Britain’s Team Gold Medalists also included a senior horse. Laura Collett on London 52. That horse was foaled in 2009. Collett and London 52 also earned an individual bronze medal.
U.S. Olympic Senior Horses
Steffen Peters, a five-time Olympian for Team USA, is riding Suppenkasper in dressage at this year’s Olympics. Suppenkaser is a 16-year-old gelding. He was sired by Spielberg and is out of the mare Upanoeska. Suppenkaser was foaled March 26, 2008.
In Para Dressage, Rebecca Hart is riding 16-year-old Floratina. The Hanoverian mare was sired by Fidertanz and is out of the mare Rubina. Floratina was foaled April 4, 2008.
Dressage Individual Seniors
Seventeen of the horses in the 2024 Olympic Individual competition were foaled in 2009 or before.
Country Rider Horse YOB
AUS Simone Pearce Destano 2007
AUT Florian Bacher Fidertraum Old 2009
BEL Domien Michiels Intermezzo VH MEE 2008
CAN Naima Moreira Lalkiberte Statesman 2007
CAN Chris von Martels Eclips 2009
DEN Catherine Laudrup-Dufour Freestyle 2009
DEN Nanna Skodborg Merrald Zepter 2008
DOM Yvonne Losos de Muniz Aquamarijn 2005
ESP Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo Euclides Mor 2009
GER Jessica von Bredow-Werndl TSF Dalera BB 2007
IND Anush Agarwalla Sir Caramello Old 2007
LUX Nicholas Wagner Ehringer Quarter Back Junio 2009
POL Zaneta Skowronska-Kozubik Love Me 2008
SGP Caroline Chew Zatchmo 2009
SWE Therese Nilshagen Dante Weltino OLD 2007
SWE Juliette Ramel Buriel K.H. 2006
USA Steffen Peters Suppenkasper 2008
Eventing Individual Seniors
Twenty-two of the equine competitors in the Eventing Individual at the 2024 Olympics were foaled in 2009 or before. These included the Gold and Bronze Medal winners.
Country Rider Horse YOB
AUS Kevin McNab Don Quidam 2008
AUS Rose Shane Virgil 2005
AUT Harald Ambros Vitorio Du Montet 2009
CAN Michael Winter El Mundo 2009
CHN Alex Hua Tian Jilsonne Van Bare 2009
ECU Ronald Zabala Forever Young Wunermaske 2003
FIN Sanna Siltakorpi Bofey Click 2009
FRA Karim Florent Laghouag Triton Fontaine 2007
GBR Laura Collett London 52 2009 (Bronze Medal)
GER Michael Jung Chipmunk FRH 2008 (Gold Medal)
GER Christoph Wahler Carjatan S 2009
IRL Austin O’Connor Colorado Blue 2009
ITA Emilano Portale Future 2008
JPN Ryuzo Kitajima Cekatinka 2007
JPN Yoshiaki Oiwa MGH Grafton Street 2008
JPN Kazuma Tomoto Vinci De La Vigne 2009
NED Janneke Boonzaaijer Champ De Tailleur 2007
NED Sanne de Jong Enjoy 2009
NZL Tim Price Falco 2009
SUI Robin Godel Grandeur De Lully CH 2008
SUI Melody Johner Toubleu De Rueire 2007
Team Jumping Seniors
| AUS | Hilary Scott | Milky Way | 2007 |
| BEL | Jerome Guery | Quel Homme De Hus | 2006 |
| BEL | Wilm Vermier | IQ Van Het Steentje | 2008 |
| CAN | Amy Millar | Truman | 2009 |
| ESP | Eduardo Alvarez Aznar | Rokfeller De Pleville | 2005 |
| GBR | Scott Brash | Jefferson | 2009 GOLD MEDAL |
| GBR | Harry Charles | Romeo 88 | 2009 GOLD MEDAL |
| ISR | Daniel Bluman | Ladriano Z | 2009 |
| GER | Jana Wargers | Dorette | 2009 |
| IRL | Darragh Kenny | Cartello | 2007 |
| ISR | Isabella Russekoff | C Vier 2 | 2008 |
| JPN | Mike Kawai | Saxo De La Cour | 2006 |
| KSA | Abdullah Alsharbatly | Alamo | 2008 |
| SUI | Pius Schwizer | Vancouver De Lanlore | 2009 |
| SWE | Peder Fredricson | Catch Me Not S | 2006 |
| SWE | Malin Baryard-Johnsson | Indiana | 2008 |
Oldest Olympic Horse Forever Young Wundermaske
Olympic Forever Young Wundermaske was the oldest horse at the 2024 Olympics at age 21, and the oldest horse to start the Olympics (according to Chronicle of the Horse). The gelding was born April 5, 2003.
Forever Young Wundermaske (barn name Patchito) is ridden by Ronald Zabala Goetschel of Ecuador. He was sired by Weltbekannt and is out of the Deerhound mare Deer Rose.
The gelding was retired twice, but he was returned to competition. He has qualified for three Olympics in his career.
Unfortunately, Goetschel took a fall in a water obstacle during cross-country.
Additional Content
- My Senior Horse Podcast: Senior Competitors. Dr. Tracy Turner. MySeniorHorse.com
- 21 And Twice Retired, Forever Young Wundermaske Makes Olympic History In Paris. The Chronicle of the Horse
- Ronald Zabala Goetschel’s Found the Fountain of Youth with Wundermaske. Eventing Nation
- Run For A Million Senior Competitors. Kimberly S. Brown. MySeniorHorse.com
