Belgian Olympic Team Horse Flynn FRH Sold to Switzerland

Dressage

Belgium

Flynn, Flore de Winne's career maker and highest scoring Belgian Olympic team horse at the 2024 Games in Paris, has been sold to Switzerland.

Flynn is a 10-year old Hanoverian stallion by Fahrenheit out of Sun on Me (by Sir Oldenburg x Davignon x Indigo). He is bred by Anton Muhr in Germany.

Licensed Stallion

The black stallion was licensed at the 2016 Hanoverian Stallion Licensing in Verden, where Dutchman Kees van den Oetelaar acquired him for 67,000 euro. He then resold the stallion in 2019 via the ESHA auction for 110,000 euro to the Belgian De Winne family.

The stallion did not do a stallion performance test but achieved his full licensed status through sport by competing at the 2019 Belgian Young Horse Championships, where he got bronze in the 5-year old division. Two years later at the 2021 Belgian YH Championships he earned silver in the 7-year old division.

Record Setter

Flynn launched the international competition career of 29-year old Flore de Winne.

The pair made its CDI show debut in 2021 in the small tour at the CDI Opglabbeek, where they finished fourth in the Prix St Georges (69.088%) and second in the Intermediaire I and Inter I Kur (70.853% - 75.130%). They competed in the 7-year old classes at the CDI Le Mans and the small tour in Waregem.

Nine months later De Winne and the 8-year old Flynn made their international Grand Prix debut in Jardy in June 2022, straight away posting 70.326% in their first GP test for third place. They gained mileage in Meerle, Deauville, Waregem and Troisdorf that year.

In 2023 they campaigned at the Aachen Festival 4 Dressage, Le Mans, and Compiegne. They were fifth at the 2023 Belgian Championships and then headed to the CDIO Rotterdam and CDI Kronenberg to secure a spot on the Belgian team for the 2023 European Championships in Riesenbeck, where they finished 37th with 70.404%. The Belgian team wrote history in Riesenbeck by securing a team slot for the 2024 Olympic Games. Individually she finished 19th, just missing out on the Kur to Music finals.

Belgian Olympic Team Anchor

As of that point their Grand Prix scores began to climb and their modern techno beat freestyle gained increasing popularity and scores, resulting an Belgian record freestyle score of 80.330% at the 2023 CDI-W Mechelen.

They continued showing through the winter and via Mechelen, Amssterdam and Den Bosch qualified for the 2024 World Cup Finals in Riyadh, where they finished sixth in the freestyle with 76.139%. From there they went to Compiegne and Rotterdam to consolidate their spot on the Belgian team for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where Flynn became Belgium's best scoring horse with 73.028% in the Grand Prix and 74.149% in the Special. Belgium in a historic fifth place in the team ranking. They also won the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix Championships

De Winne concluded the year with her first international victory at the 2024 CDI Hagen in September scorin 73.196% in the Grand Prix for the win.

Sold to Switzerland

De Winne has decided to sell her career maker. He has been acquired by Young Rider Tallulah Lynn Nater from Switzerland.

"Initially it wasn't the plan to sell, especially because we didn't want him to go to a big stable," Flore told Eurodressage. "During the Games we got in touch with a family who offered him a real home like he had with us. Only then we seriously started to consider it, especially because we connected so well with the people. Only when they came to try him, I was convinced it was a good decision because they matched straight away. I will continue to stay in touch with them and support them along the way."

Flore runs her own training and sales business Win Horses in Zottegem, Belgium.

"We have 60 horses ar the moment including a handful of broodmares. We buy between10 and 13 foals each year which we rear at home and then my sister and I train them up the levels for sport and sales," Flore explained.

The 20-year old Nater has been competing Quando Unico (by Quantensprung x Fidertanz) at international Young Riders level since 2023 and was 13th at the 2023 European Young Riders Championships. She has also gained experience on Grand Prix horse San Ravallo (by San Amour x Ravallo).

Her international show career began in the pony and children divisions with White Love B (by White Gold x Dornik B), Dack von Wittgenstein (by Diamond Boy x Golden Dancer), and Hally Berry (by Hotline x Weltmeyer). She won silver at the 2017 and 2018 Swiss Pony Championships and first represented Switzerland at the 2018 European Children Championships on Luxor B (by Lauries Crusador xx). She moved into the junior division with De Vito W (by Desperados x Samba Hit II) and represented Switzerland at the 2019, 2020 and 2021 European Junior Riders Championships. In 2019 she won gold at the Nationals, in 2021 bronze and in 2022 gold. In 2023 there was bronze at Young Riders level. She was absent from the Nationals in 2024.

Flynn is intended as her Grand Prix hopeful. She trains with Estelle Wettstein.