Qalista DN: Setting New Standards at Nine
The Belgian mare is rewriting what it means to be world-class at just nine years old.
At only nine years old, Qalista DN is already outperforming some of the sport’s biggest names. Under Gilles Thomas, she climbed to an Elo rating of 763, making her not only the top-rated nine-year-old in the world, but one of the top 20 horses across all ages on the EquiRatings Elo ratings. That puts her in truly rare company, and signals the arrival of a horse capable of shaping the next generation of show jumping.
The Current Top-Rated Nine-Year-Olds
Qalista DN leads the 2025 standings for her age group with a clear margin. Behind her sit Ireland’s Qonquest de Rigo (Bertram Allen) and France’s Golden Boy DK (Simon Delestre), but no other nine-year-old comes close to Qalista’s level of consistent performance.
That 763 doesn’t just top the nine-year-olds list, it puts Qalista DN shoulder-to-shoulder with proven championship horses, like Iron Dames My Prins (763), Elektric Blue P (763) and Leone Jei (761). For a horse still in development, that’s a level of competitiveness rarely seen.
The Highest Ratings Ever Produced by Nine-Year-Olds
Since EquiRatings began tracking Elo ratings in 2010, very few horses have touched the 760+ mark at nine. It’s a level that typically signals future world-beaters, horses that go on to dominate championships and five-star Grand Prix circuits.
Reaching 760 Elo as a nine-year-old doesn’t just indicate potential, it’s a marker for future performance. Almost every horse to reach that threshold has gone on to feature prominently in five-star competition or major championships. Qalista DN’s inclusion on that list is a clear signal of her trajectory.
Podium Records
It’s not just ratings that make Qalista DN stand out, it’s results. In 2025 so far, she has become the only nine-year-old to finish on more than one five-star Grand Prix or World Cup podium so far this season.
That run includes a five-star Grand Prix victory and two additional podiums, a rare feat for any horse, let alone one still in single digits.
Since 2010, only two horses have finished on more than three five-star Grand Prix or World Cup podiums in their nine-year-old year: Explosion W and Qlassic Bois Margot. Both went on to championship-level careers. Qalista DN now sits right behind them on that same elite list.
What It Means to Be This Good at Nine
There are thousands of horses competing internationally each season, but only a handful reach elite levels this early. For Qalista DN, 2025 has marked the transition from promising young horse to genuine world-class contender.
As the EquiRatings data shows, her performances aren’t just strong, they’re statistically exceptional.
And if history is any guide, that means one thing: we’re looking at a future championship horse.