Australian Olympian Mary Hanna has added a new horse to her string in the lead-up to the 2028 L.A. Olympic Games, where Hanna could become a seven-time Olympian and oldest competing athlete.
The new addition is Golia Di Fonteabeti, a 9-year old Hanoverian gelding by Zach out of Romea del Castegno (by Zack x Rohdiamant x Weltmeyer).
Italian Start
The bay is bred by Riccardo Volpi and Luisa di Antonelli at brood farm Fonte Abeti in Sansepolcro, Italy.
He was first competed by Fonte Abeti's in-house rider, Portuguese Frederico Mexia de Almeida, in Germany in 2021, but as of 2022 Leondro Freire took over the ride and showed hum in St. Margarethen (AUT) and Madrid (ESP). Also in 2023 he continued to compete the horse in the international young horse classes in Ornago, Liîca and St. Margarethen, recording six wins. Freire last showed him internationally at the 2024 CDI Verolanueva in May 2024 in the 7-year old classes.
Australia
Sent to Helgstrand to be sold, Golia Di Fonteabeti found a new owner in Mary Hanna through trainer and Helgstrand horse dealer Patrik Kittel.
“He was described to me as ‘Mary-sized’,” she laughs. “And that turned out to be exactly right," Hanna said in an interview with Equestrian Life. "He can be a little spooky. He’s not lazy. The training is sensible, and I think he’s got a really bright future.”
The Hanoverian gelding Fauntleroy (by Blue Hors Farrell x Hochadel) has returned to Patrik’s to be sold.
Mary will spend the summer in Europe as of June with Ivanhoe and Golia to qualify on the Australian team for the 2026 World Championships in Aachen, which would be her 7th WEG in her career.
Photo © Equisoul Photography/courtesy Boneo Park
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