David McKinnon's Grand Prix Ride Forlan Passed Away

Dressage

Australia

David McKinnon's international Grand Prix ride Forlan has passed away on 13 December 2025.

Forlan was a 15-year old KWPN gelding by Jazz out of Nikita (by Highline x Ultrazon). He was bred by Wim van der Aa.

Between Germany and Denmark

The chestnut stranded in the third phase of the 2013 KWPN Stallion Licensing. He was acquired as a non-licensed stallion by Sven Rothenberger and moved to Germany.

He was first shown by Michele Schulmerig in 2014 at a handful of local shows.

Forlan sold to Helgstrand Dressage in Denmark, where Rothenberger discovered Geisha at the same time. The ride was allocated to Daniel Bachmann Andersen, who worked there at the time. He showed the horse at the 2014 Danish Young Horse Championships and placed 13th in the 4-year old Finals. Bachmann left for Blue Hors and Maik Kohlschmidt got the ride on Forlan. He showed him at the 2015 Danish Young Horse Championships and placed 9th in the consolation round.

Forlan relocated to Patrik Kittel's yard and his assistant Malin Wahlkamp-Nilsson got the ride. She debuted the chestnut in May 2016 at M-level and in 2017 at S-level. She took him to Falsterbo, where he won the 7-year old championship

Australia

Shortly afterwards he sold to Australians Andrew and Carol Oatley.

The horse disappeared from the show scene for three years to resurface in the public eye in 2020 in Australia. Under Gina Montgomery he competed at small tour level at the CDN Bawley Point in February 2020, winning all three rounds.

Two years later Forlan returned to the arena at Intermediaire II level with David McKinnon on board. The pair made its international show debut at Grand Prix level at the CDI Boneo in October 2023, scoring 70.804% in the Grand Prix and 76.485% in the Kur. The CDI counted as the 2023 Australian Grand Prix Championships and the pair won bronze.

Half a year later their rode their second CDI as a pair in Syndey in May 2024, placing second twice with seventy percentage marks. It was their last international.

Untimely Passing

McKinnon announced the passing of Forlan, aka "Alan, on 13 December 2025.

"Alan was more human than horse, a larger than life character," said McKinnon. "He was extremely intelligent which meant he could be a bit tricky in the early days but once he trusted me we could do anything together. From his friendly neigh at every feed time, to expecting ear scratches and carrots from anyone who passed his stable and his face when he realised Carol was here with a whole bag of carrots!"