International Grand Prix Horse Flynn PCH Retired from Sport

Dressage

U.S.A.

Flynn PCH, an internationally competed Grand Prix horse, has been retired from sport. The 18-year old will retire to the field at his current owner Hope Cooper's Bear Spot Farm in the Concord, MA, U.S.A.

Flynn is a 18-year old Hanoverian by Falsterbo out of Walt Lady (by Walt Disney). He is bred by Gerhard Finck.

Plum Creek Hollow

Flynn PCH was licensed at the 2008 Hanoverian stallion licensing and he did his 30-day performance test in Redefin in March 2009, scoring 8.45 for dressage and 7.80 for show jumping to finish on a total of 8.23 points.

Flynn was long-timed owned by American Nancy Gooding, the heiress of Pepsi Cola and owner of Plum Creek Hollow farm in Colorado.

Fleyenhof

Gooding has been a long-time owner of numerous horses at Hubertus Schmidt's stable and sent the liver chestnut stallion to Schmidt's yard Fleyenhof for training.

The liver chestnut was first competed by Schmidt's assistant trainer Marcus Hermes in 2009 as a 3-year old. The pair finished 6th at the 2011 Bundeschampionate. In 2012 he finished 8th in Warendorf and represented Germany at the 2012 World Young Horse Championships in Verden, where he was 8th.

In 2013 Flynn competed in the Developing Prix St Georges horse classes, first with Hermes, but after he left Fleyenhof to start working for Freiberger Hof, Hubertus Schmidt took place in the saddle himself. In 2014 he rode him in the Louisdor Cup qualifiers. Later that year Emma Kanerva took over the ride and campaigned him for a year.

In 2016 it was Fabienne Lutkemeier's turn to compete Flynn and she qualified him for the 2016 Louisdor Cup Finals, but had to withdraw due to an injury.

The stallion made his come back to the show ring in 2018. In 2019 they did their first and only international together in Uggerhalne.

Hof Kasselmann

When Fabienne Lutkemeier got pregnant, a new rider was found for Flynn at Hof Kasselmann in Hagen, the German Under 25 rider Evelyn Eger.

She showed him at the CDI's in Hagen and Mannheim. Flynn returned to Hubertus Schmidt in the summer of 2021.

Hope Cooper

Jane Karol acquired Flynn as a Grand Prix schoolmaster for her daughter, Hope Cooper, in October 2021.

Hope premiered Flynn internationally at the 2022 Global Dressage Festival at senior Grand Prix level and campaigned him in Wellington through 2024 with two side CDi's in Ocala 2022 and Devon 2023, where they scored their GP best score: 69.717%.

Retirement

Cooper announced the retirement from sport.

"Flynnie you have done more for me then I could have ever dreamed of," she wrote. "I’m so excited to have you stay with me for ever here at Bear Spot Farm so I can kiss your nose and you can bite me back everyday."

She added, "so lucky to say I get to retire Flynn when he is happy and spicy and healthy so he can enjoy his big field- just the way he should."