From 1 in 8,000 to Team NZL: How the Numbers Took a Horse from Finland to Aachen
In late 2024, Sam Lissington ran a database search for an LA 2028 prospect. This week, that horse trots up at the FEI World Championships in Aachen.
Last year, we shared a story that challenged traditional thinking.
Instead of relying solely on instinct, reputation or what everyone else could see, Sam Lissington used the EquiRatings' Complete Horse Search to identify a horse whose data suggested there was something special waiting to emerge.
It was late last year when Sam ran a database search. She wanted a younger horse to sit behind her established string, thinking forward to LA 2028. She was not thinking about Aachen 2026.
Yet on Wednesday morning, Sam will trot up one Lucas Stone at the 2026 FEI World Championships.
At the time, Sam described the entire process of finding "Luca", from start to finish and with transparency. You can read the original case study HERE.
Luca's statistics were there, hidden beneath the surface for those who could look closely enough, but there was no guarantee the future would unfold the way the data predicted.
Because, of course, data doesn't jump the fences. It doesn't produce clean cross-country rounds, cope with the pressure of championship competition or develop the partnerships. Those achievements still require exceptional horsemanship, management, training and an incredible horse. But data can help you find opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked.
Like a horse for sale in snow-covered Finland.
The brief in a nutshell
Through data-driven analysis of herself as a rider and with a clear goal for her future horse, Sam set her brief:
| Parameter | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Age | Born 2015 or 2016, to be competitive at CCI4*-L in 2028 |
| Level | Already competed at CCI3*-S |
| Dressage | 6RA of 38 or better |
| Show jumping | 60% or better in his age category |
| Cross-country | 60% or better in his age category |
That brief was run across more than 8,000 performance horses. It produced a draft of 124. Then, through price discovery and sourced videos, with Sam's analysis of same, Lucas Stone came to the fore.
Sam & Luca's international results to date
| Year | Event | Level | Placing | DR | XCJ | XCT | SJJ | SJT | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Luhmühlen | CCI4*-S | 7th | 28.8 | 0 | 8.8 | 0 | 0.0 | 37.6 |
| 2026 | Chaumont en Vexin | CCI4*-S | 45th | 29.3 | 20 | 11.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 60.9 |
| 2026 | Strzegom | CCI4*-L | 4th | 28.5 | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 0.0 | 32.5 |
| 2026 | Strzegom | CCI4*-S | 5th | 33.1 | 0 | 8.8 | 0 | 0.4 | 42.3 |
| 2025 | Strzegom | CCI4*-L | 1st | 29.1 | 0 | 0.4 | 0 | 0.4 | 29.9 |
| 2025 | Blenheim | CCI4*-S | 7th | 29.5 | 0 | 6.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 35.5 |
| 2025 | Charlbury | CCI3*-S | 3rd | 30.7 | 0 | 5.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 36.3 |
| 2025 | Bicton | CCI3*-L | 9th | 28.3 | 0 | 4.4 | 0 | 0.0 | 32.7 |
The Aachen call-up came the way they sometimes do. Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ, second in the CCI5*-L at Luhmühlen last year and the horse Sam had hoped to ride at the championships, was ruled out of contention in June. New Zealand named her on Lucas Stone at the end of that month. The prospect for 2028 became the entry for 2026.
“He has been a real professional and is so up for the job.”
What the search did, and what it did not do
What the search did was narrow 8,000 horses down to 124, and put a name in front of a rider who would have otherwise never seen it. Championship horses are not always the obvious ones, and some of them are on a list in a remote market with a not-so-competitive dressage record but with demonstrated and quantified potential.
However, the original case study was not intended to prove that data replaces experience. Instead, it demonstrated what happens when great horsemanship and great data work together.
Seeing this combination now selected for the World Championships feels like the ultimate validation of that philosophy.
For us, it reinforces something we've believed for a long time: the right information, interpreted well, creates better decisions.
The original case study, including rider analysis, search criteria, the videos, Sam's notes at the time, and more is HERE.
Find Your Next Champion
Curious about doing your own complete search? The cost of this sourcing model is:
- €5k upfront fee
- 5% success fee on purchase.
From hidden gems to medal contenders, EquiRatings can help you navigate the world of horse sales. Feel free to send us a message via sam.lissington@equiratings.com or explore our product guide here.
| Day | Phase | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 12 | First horse inspection | Stadium 2 |
| Thu 13 & Fri 14 | Dressage | Stadium 2 |
| Sat 15 | Cross-country | Soers course |
| Sun 16 | Show jumping and medals | Main stadium |
New Zealand have named five combinations. Four ride for the team, one goes as an individual, and that call is made at or before Wednesday’s inspection.