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

AUSHilary ScottMilky Way2007
BELJerome GueryQuel Homme De Hus2006
BELWilm VermierIQ Van Het Steentje2008
CANAmy MillarTruman2009
ESPEduardo Alvarez AznarRokfeller De Pleville2005
GBRScott BrashJefferson2009 GOLD MEDAL
GBRHarry CharlesRomeo 882009 GOLD MEDAL
ISRDaniel BlumanLadriano Z2009
GERJana WargersDorette2009
IRLDarragh KennyCartello2007
ISRIsabella RussekoffC Vier 22008
JPNMike KawaiSaxo De La Cour2006
KSAAbdullah AlsharbatlyAlamo2008
SUIPius SchwizerVancouver De Lanlore2009
SWEPeder FredricsonCatch Me Not S2006
SWEMalin Baryard-JohnssonIndiana2008

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

  • Kimberly S. Brown is an award-winning writer and publisher. She is the Editorial Director for My Senior Horse. Brown spent 10 years at Equine Network, parent company of My Senior Horse. Prior to that she worked for three years in equine nutrition after she retired from nearly 30 years working at The Blood-Horse. Brown spent the last 15 years of her time at that organization creating and developing The Horse and TheHorse.com.
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