• Both of the home crowd favourites – Orient Express HDC and Opgun Louvo – were bred locally. Show jumping silver medallist Orient Express was foaled 25 miles from Caen at the Haras des Coudrettes stud farm, while double gold winner Opgun Louvo was born within hacking distance, as his breeder Yves Berlioz lives just seven miles away.
  • Opgun Louvo’s paternal grandam Opaline Des Pins bred the 1996 Atlanta Olympics gold medal show jumping champion Jus De Pomme. On his dam’s side, the 2014 double gold medal winner traces back to the famous Furioso, who stood at Haras Du Pin, the site of eventing’s dressage and cross-country phases.
  • Elizabeth Hayden, competing on the Irish young rider team in the European championships at Vale Sabroso this weekend with Miracle also has the two-star Classic Piper – a full-brother to Jonelle Price’s fourth-placed Classic Moet – in her string. 
  • Silver medallist FischerRocana FST’s German thoroughbred sire Ituango is based at the Marbach state stud, where Irish export Stan The Man also stood.
  • Nabab De Reve was on the Belgian bronze medal team with Philip Lejeune at Jerez de la Frontera; his son Vigo D’Arsouilles won gold at Kentucky, again with Lejeune and Vigo was the sire of three WEG contenders in Ian Millar’s Dixson and Edwina Tops Alexander’s Ego Van Orti (show jumping) and Fletcha Van‘t Verahof, sixth in eventing with Karin Donckers. Donckers mare was bred by Joris de Brabander, Vigo D’Arsouilles’ breeder.
  • Cornet Obolensky, Marco Kutscher’s Hong Kong Olympic and 2011 European championship contender, had the most show jumping progeny at the Games. His seven offspring include Charlie, Cocoshynsky, Confident Of Victory, Conte Bellini, Copperphild, Cornando NRW and Cornet D’Amour
  • Cardento, who won team silver with Swedish rider Peter Eriksson at the 2002 World Equestrian Games at Jerez de la Frontera, was the second most-represented show jumping sire in Normandy with six progeny: Cafino, Carisma, Celestine, Duke Of Carneval, Zilverstar VDL and GDE Matrix.