British Breeder Online Feb 2019 issue

Feature - ARTICLE
Cassionato - Nations Cup, Calgary 2014. Photo Bob Langrish
GORNALL
EQUESTRIAN
Gornall Equestrian’s “Home Farm”
base set in 15 acres of countryside
between the spa town of Harrogate and
historic York is home to International
Showjumper Jamie Gornall and his
team of top-class horses.
Jamie and his wife Averil, a successful
interior designer, have sympathetically
modified the charming and traditional
English agricultural buildings with the
best of modern facilities from across
the globe to transform the former dairy
farm into an elite showjumping yard
that is amongst the best in Europe.
Jamie spent over 10 years riding
for and training with some of the
best riders in the world including Di
Lampard, MBE, Janne Friederike Meyer,
Ludger Beerbaum and John Whitaker,
MBE before setting up his base in North
Yorkshire at the end of 2015.
Over the last 3 years Jamie has built up
a strong team of horses ranging from
young horses coming through into the
sport to those competing at 5* Grand
Prix level. Combined with Jamie’s
knowledge and passion for breeding
has seen Gornall Equestrian build up a
strong collection of stallions.
One of these breeding stallions who
is also one of Jamie’s main Grand Prix
horses, is the striking 12 year old grey
Holstein stallion Christian 25, who was
previously based in Germany at the
Bockmann Stud. Whilst in Germany he
predominantly focused on breeding
after achieving the highest scores in
his 30 day test for his stallion licensing,
including four 10s.
Christian’s pedigree is full of top
competition horses; his sire Cartani
is the result of breeding two of the
world’s best showjumpers – twotime
Olympic stallion Carthago Z
and 1994 World Equestrian Games
team gold winner Taggi. A Holsteiner
Premium Stallion noted for his scope,
his hind leg technique, and perfect
conformation, Cartani was a member
of the Danish team on numerous
occasions including the 2013 European
Championships. Christian’s dam Free
Lilly (competed as Who Knows Lilly)
competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Christian is a tall, athletic, modern
model of a showjumping stallion who
passes on his rideability, fantastic
movement and confirmation, and huge
careful scope to his youngstock. He has
bred some impressive offspring that are
already beginning to prove themselves
in the sport despite his first progeny
only being born in 2012.
In November 2014 a Christian son, Oak
Grove’s Che, out of a Check In mare,
was licensed for OS-International.
As a 5 year old Che competed at
the World Championships for young
horses and won on the opening day of
the prestigious Bundeschampionate
in Germany. In 2018 he competed in
CSIYH* classes with several clear rounds
and placings internationally.
Christian daughters have also proved
popular with Cinderella and La Marron
being price highlights for jumping
horses at two Oldenburg auctions in
2018.
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