Untouchable II, Five-Time European Pony Championship Participant, Passed Away

Dressage

Norway

Untouchable II, a pony who took three riders to five European Pony Championships, has passed away. He was 22 years old.

Untouchable II was a 2004 born Swedish Riding Pony by Verona's Gerswin out of Urbina (by Urbino x Mr Snowdon). He was bred by Anna Hanson and Monicka Bergenstam Hanson.

Norwegian Team Pony

The bay gelding first made his mark on the international pony scene for Norway.

He was purchased by the Danish based Norwegian Hillern family, who acquired him in April 2012, when Kristiane Askim Hillern was 8 years old.

Kristiane and "Otto" made their CDI debut in April 2015 at the CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland. The pair represented Norway at the 2015 Nordic Baltic Championships followed by the European Pony Championships in Malmö, where they were 24th in the individual test.

In 2016 they competed in Joosland and Odense before heading to the European Pony Championships in Aarhus, where they were 41st in the individual test. They also won silver at the 2016 Norwegian Pony Championships. Kristiane's last year on "Otto" was in 2017 with starts in Aalborg, Uggerhalne, Hagen, and Hammaro before heading to their third Europeans in Kaposvar, where they were 18th in the Kur to music finals.

The ride was briefly taken over by Norwegian Maren Aarflot Strandheim, who showed him at the 2018 CDI Exloo

Sweden

Otto moved to Sweden in 2019 to become a schoolmaster for Emma Kaberg. She debuted him at the CDI Kristiansand in October 2019, her first and only international on him. They finished fourth at the 2020 Swedish Pony Championship.

Two years later Untouchable II returned to the international scene with Swedish Ebba Lindholm, who premiered him at the 2021 Nordic Baltic Championships in Ypaja to finish fourth in the Kur. A year later she returned to the big arena and rode the pony in his fifth European Pony Championships (in Strzegom) and last international show. They were 26th in the individual test.

Sad Passing

A week ago Hillern announced the passing of Otto.

"Earlier this week we said our final goodbye. I learned so much with you and from you, and you made all my dreams come true," said Kristiane Hillern. "you also made the dreams of so many other little girls come true, and their families as well. I loved being your rider, but I also loved watching and cheering for you on the sidelines. I am so happy that I got to follow you so close all these years. The last year with us you got the retirement you deserved, and you were still the King of the stables."

Kaberg also remembered Untouchable.

"Thank you, Otto, for the rides, the adventures, and all the memories I’ll carry with me forever," Emma stated. "You were such a special pony, and I feel so lucky that I got to ride you for a little part of your life."