The year in which jumping horses turn nine is often when they will start dipping their feet into competitions of the highest level. We have previously seen that horses who have produced successful nine-year-old seasons have gone on to have fruitful careers in the sport, shining bright on the world’s most prestigious stages, including major championships and games. Who are the highest-rated nine-year-old horses of 2023 and how do they compare to the world’s best?

The Nine-Year-Old Class of 2023

Zineday: Podium-hopping from Aachen to Milan

Rider: Philipp Weishaupt
Breeder: Franz-Georg Ottmann

It was a surprise to many when Philipp Weishaupt picked the inexperienced Zineday as his ride of choice to contest the notoriously tough Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen. Despite his young age however, the chestnut blew away the crowd as he produced two foot-perfect rounds to join just four other combinations in a jump-off. With the fastest time, but an unfortunate rail knocked, Zineday was the youngest horse to mount the podium of the 2023 Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen.

This performance earned the pair a ticket to compete at the Jumping Europeans last summer. While Zineday entered the competition as one of the least experienced horses in the field, one of just six nine-year-olds, they held their own. With just one fence down over the entire championship, Philipp Weishaupt & Zineday claimed the individual silver medal.

While Zineday will only be ten at the time of the Paris Olympics, the consistency and maturity he has shown over the past season makes them a serious contender for a place on the German team.

Cepano Baloubet: Already a Two-time Five-Star Grand Prix Winner

Rider: Richard Vogel
Breeder: Wolfgang Seemann

Talking of contenders for the German team, this pair cannot be ruled out. Richard Vogel travelled to Wellington, Florida at the start of last season to prepare his string of horses for the upcoming year. Richard took a gamble as he rode the nine-year-old Cepano Baloubet in the CSI5* Rolex Grand Prix so early on in the season. Despite testing weather conditions and a strong field of competitors, the German pair took the win by a margin of 9 seconds in the jump-off.

This young combination continued their success in Aachen, claiming several podium places, as well as in Brussels. They completed their 2023 season with a trip to Mexico, where they placed in the Top 12 of all three CSI5* Grand Prix, one of which a win.
Richard Vogel might be the man to watch as we head into an Olympic year with several capable horses in his string. As Cepano Baloubet turns ten years old, he has already gained valuable experience over some of the sport’s toughest tracks. 

Odense Odeveld: Italian Olympic Hopeful

Rider: Emanuele Camilli
Breeder: Caroline De Laet (Stal Odeveld)

Odense Odeveld only made his five-star 160 debut in June, yet he proved to be a quick learner. The following month, the pair represented Italy in the Nations Cup of Sweden in Falsterbo and produced a double clear round. To lock in their form, they then continued the weekend by climbing the podium in the CSIO5* Grand Prix of Falsterbo, which was only Odense’s second ever five-star Grand Prix. 

These results put the combination on the radar for the Italian team selection committee, as they were selected to represent the home nation at the FEI Jumping European Championships in Milan, where they secured a spot in the individual final, but decided to withdraw.
At their most recent outing, Emanuele and Odense collected yet another podium finish, this time in the World Cup of Riyadh two weeks ago.

Odense Odeveld is a great addition to the Italian team for Nations Cups and has a real chance to secure an individual ticket to Paris next year.

Among the All-Time Greats

A strong crop of nine-year-olds in Germany this year. Over the course of the 2023 season, both Zineday and Cepano Baloubet have reached an Elo rating that puts them in the Top 10 highest-rated nine-year-old horses since recording started in 2010. 

From this group have come some of the leading horses of modern-day sport. The record for highest-rated nine-year-old since 2010 is still in hands of our reigning Olympic Champion, Explosion W, followed by World Championship medalist Eddie Blue and former Olympic Champion Big Star.

Cepano Baloubet has completed his nine-year-old season with peak Elo of 747, equalling Leone Jei’s nine-year-old Elo in 2021. Leone Jei has gone on to win individual silver at the 2021 European Championships and claimed the victory in the Rolex Grand Prix on the grounds of the esteemed Spruce Meadows in Calgary.

Zineday matches his nine-year-old Elo to that of Elektric Blue P three years ago. Just like Leone Jei, Elektric Blue is also a Rolex Major Grand Prix winner, in the saddle of Max Kühner, the bay gelding won in ‘s Hertogenbosch two years ago.

If this list were to predict the future, there are great times to come for the nine-year-old class of 2023.