Morgan Barbançon Sells Her Number 1, Habana Libre A, into Polish Ownership

Dressage

France

French Olympian Morgan Barbançon, who is currently sitting out her two-year suspension, has sold her number one in the barn, Grand Prix horse Habana Libre A.

The 13-year old KWPN gelding by Zizi Top out of Daiquiri A (by United x Lancet), bred by Mr. Ackermans, has been sold to Poland.

Dutch Beginnings

The liver chestnut first came in the spotlight as a rising 3-year old, being presented at the 2015 KWPN stallion licensing in Den Bosch, where he was not selected.

He sold as a stallion at the 2015 Excellent Dressage Sales for 17,000 euro and ended up in training first with Sanne van Grotel and then with owner Janneke van Riet, who showed him in young horse classes in 2016. They were seventh in the 2016 Pavo Cup Finals.

Habana at the 2018 World Young Horse Championships

The horse sold to French Alexandra Barbançon, Morgan's sister who rode as a youth rider but gave up horse sport. Morgan was training with Dutch Diederik van Silfhout at the time and the former Dutch team rider convinced the girls' mum, Carmen Mestre, for him to ride the horse at the Dutch team seletion trials for to the 2018 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo. They got selected and the pair was 14th in the 6-year old final.

Morgan Barbançon

After Ermelo, Habana Libre A move to Morgan's stable in Geneva, Switzerland. She premiered him internationally at the CDI Ornago in March 2019, and rode him in Wiesbaden and Nice to finish the year with the title of 2019 French Champion in the 7-year old division in Le Mans.

She competed him in the small tour in 2020 and debuted him at big tour level at the CDI Jerez in March 2022 to a 67.217% score. They gained mileage in Le Mans, Compiegne, Jardy, and Meerle but Sir Donnerhall II OLD remained Morgan's number one and went to the World Championships in Herning.

In 2023 Morgan made the clever move of taking her horses to Wellington, Florida, alongside her then-boyfriend, Belgian show jumper Jos Verlooy (BEL). Morgan was almost unopposed at the Global Dressage festival and out of her 10 CDI tests, she won 7 with increasing scores. Barbançon had also switched to training with Gareth Hughes which impacted her riding much. They returned to Europe and rode in Fontainebleau, Lipica, Rotterdam, Aachen, and Crozet, picking up a further four trophies. At the 2023 European Championships in Riesenbeck they were 14th in the Kur to Music final.

Forced Absence from Showing

2024 turned Morgan's life as a competition rider upside down. She began the year strongly as one of France's highest scoring riders aiming for the Paris Olympics. She showed in Doha and Fontainebleau, but then got provisionally suspended after failing to declare her whereabouts for personal doping testing. Barbancon appealed the case with CAS, but they even increased the suspension time from 3 to 18 months.

Barbancon is not allowed to compete until 10 October 2025. Based in Belgium at a facility owned by the Verlooy family, Morgan had to recalibrate the focus in her professional career and dedicated her newly allotted time to training and selling horses as well as teaching students.

Sold to Poland

Morgan has decided to sell her number one, Habana Libre A, while the 19-year old Sir Donnerhall II is fit and in training.

"It was a good time to sell," Morgan told Eurodressage about letting go of her top horse. "At the moment I’m happy training at home. I have a few nice young ones coming up, so when the time is right and the horses are ready I will be back. Sir D I will compete him a few shows and then retire him. He’s in great shape."

Habana Libre A has been sold as a Grand Prix schoolmaster for the British based 58-year old Anna Katarzyna Wilson. She made her international show debut at small tour level at Hickstead in 2017 aboard Lusitano Distinto (by Rubi x Nilo). In 2019 and 2020 she showed Le Docteur (by Le Noir x Medoc) at small tour level in Hartpury, Hickstead and Keysoe. The black Westfalian was previously shown by Luis Principe before selling to Cirra Hatton in 2021.

Wilson's international Grand Prix debut was at the 2021 CDI Wellington Heckfield aboard Distinto, who sold to German Christina Wessling in 2022. Anna has continued to show nationally in Great Britain with horses such as Florianne (by Fidertanz x De Niro), Escojunio Ballante (by Escolar x Diamond Hit), Ivano (by Apache x Florencio), Mercurio (by Xisto da Broa x Herodes), and Finest Hour (by Finest x Jazz Rubin). She used to train with Paul Fielder but is now being coached by Natalie Hobday with help from Richard Hayward.