Saturday, 22 June 2019 Team GLOCK

Thank you GLOCK’s London

It’s like a fairy tale. With a script no Hollywood author could have made more moving. Packed with great success, painful good-byes, an uncertain future and the joy of a rider and a whole nation, it’s a story with an unexpected happy ending that brings tears to the eyes. It is the story of GLOCK's London.

The gleaming golden chestnut stallion, with those gentle eyes and powerful jumping capability, counts among the best horses in the world. He was born on 06 June 2002 in Belgium and named Carembar de Muze. His dam, Tabelle van Sombeke, enjoyed a great deal of success under the Belgian championship rider Jos Lansink, and his breeder Joris de Brabander took care over the choice of which stallion would cover the successful BWP mare of Chin Chin x Goliath Z: Nabab de Reve. This son of Quidam de Revel is acknowledged as one of the most important sires in show jumping breeding circles and, with GLOCK’s London, his legacy was enriched.

Just like his famous father Nabab de Reve, London developed fantastically. His talent on the show jumping course was soon admired and, as his discoverers and patrons, the Schröder brothers knew what they had. This was a raw diamond, maybe still a little bit ‘wild’ under the saddle, but possessing endless potential. “I sat on him briefly. It was a very special feeling with London. I sensed that he was something special.” said Gerco Schröder later.

London changed owners. The almost five-year-old stallion was bought for Gerco by the famous Eurocommerce show-jumping stables. Five years would then pass before the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The city that gave the young chestnut stallion and strong jumper his name was to set the goal.

Measure of all things
Eurocommerce London and Gerco Schröder became a team. One that would continuously improve its performance and make history. They felt at home in the world’s greatest show-jumping courses, always competing for top ranks, and became the stars of countless fans. Be it Rio de Janeiro (BRA), Cannes (FRA), Doha (QAT), Vienna (AUT) or Aachen (GER), the two celebrated great triumphs everywhere. In the Nations Cup they where solid as a rock; Gerco, the rider with nerves of steel yet exceptional sensitivity, and London, one of the world’s best show jumpers, with an extraordinary will to perform, his fighting spirit awakening upon entering the arena. They became the measure of all things on the show jumping course. “He’s so special, so good-natured and likeable. Only as we ride in do I sense his excitement. Then he becomes a different horse,” said Gerco Schröder of the horse of his life.

Welcome to Team GLOCK
The 2012 Olympic Games in London were both the highlight and turning point in the lives of Gerco and London. They took team and individual silver medals and the whole world was talking about this exceptional duo. London more than lived up to his name.

But everything changed after the London Olympic Games. A tug-of-war for the world-famous stallion began. Eurocommerce stables ultimately got into financial difficulties. In March 2014 they filed for bankruptcy. No one knew what would happen to the horses. Then came truly evil tidings from Rabo Bank: all Eurocommerce horses were to be auctioned! Among them, London. This meant an unknown but almost certainly separate future for Gerco and London.

Countless people watched the auction online. Who would be the new owner of this exceptional horse? “Those were the worst moments of my life. I was scared. I took time to say goodbye to London.” said Gerco Schröder after the auction. “The auction was finished and the price so immensely high; no one knew who had bought London. Then came the call from Austria and I was unbelievably happy.”

A turning-point that would change both their lives. They could stay together. The Glock Horse Performance Center had bought the 12-year-old BWP stallion. Gerco Schröder found a new sporting base in Team GLOCK and the two could continue to compete for The Netherlands. A moving moment for Gerco, his family and the world of equestrian sport.

Sporting and breeding success
From then on, people would see Gerco and GLOCK’s London with the famous GLOCK logo on the jacket, fly mask and saddlecloth. The duo jumped to team gold at the Caen World Equestrian Games, bronze in the Nations Cup of Aachen, and won the Nations Cups of Barcelona and Falsterbo with the Dutch team. Following an injury, GLOCK’s London was out of action for a prolonged period, was brought back to fitness and appeared for the Netherlands at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In 2017 he won his last Grand Prix at the CSI4* of Salzburg.

This wonderful stallion leaves a compelling legacy for breeders, with a history necessarily limited according to sporting commitments. So far just over 200 progeny have been recorded, including licensed sons and state premium mares. His most famous son, Ipswich van de Wolfsakker, bred from a Quick Star dam, shares his coat and reflects his enormous jumping capability around the toughest of courses.

Now, following his highly successful career in the sport, on 23 June 2019 at the CSIO5* Geesteren at 2pm before the Nations Cup, GLOCK’s London celebrates his retirement from the sport and entry as a GLOCK breeding stallion. A new life awaits him as equine companion and father of many promising foals embodying the pedigree of GLOCK’s London.

Thank you, GLOCK’s London!

GLOCK’s London
BWP | chestnut
Nabab de Reve x Chin Chin x Goliath Z
2002 | 1.68 m | BWP Ambassadeur
Approved for OLDBG, BAVAR, BWP, HOLST, KWPN, OS, SF
Breeding queries: glockstallions@ghpc.nl
Web: www.ghpc.at

GLOCK’s London in 2008, then still Eurocommerce London. © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

Gerco Schröder and GLOCK’s London in 2012 at the Olympic Games in London on the way to individual silver and thus their second silver medal. © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

Gerco Schröder and GLOCK’s London in 2014 at CHIO Aachen. © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

Gerco Schröder and GLOCK’s London in 2014 at CHIO Rotterdam. © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

Gerco Schröder and GLOCK’s London in 2014 at GHPC Austria. © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

GLOCK’s London in 2014 at the BWG Stables in Tubbergen. © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

Gerco Schröder and GLOCK’s London in 2014 following the auction and purchase by GHPC NL. © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

GLOCK’s London. © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

Gerco Schröder and GLOCK’s London in 2014 at the World Equestrian Games in Caen (FRA) on the way to the World Championship title with the team. © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

Team World Champion Gerco Schröder and GLOCK’s London in 2014 at the World Equestrian Games in Caen (FRA). © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

Gerco Schröder and GLOCK’s London in 2014 at the World Equestrian Games in Caen (FRA). © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

Gerco Schröder and GLOCK’s London in 2014 at CHIO Rotterdam. © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

GLOCK’s London. © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

GLOCK’s London and Lisa (Gerco’s daughter). © GHPC

Gerco Schröder and GLOCK’s London in 2016 at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup during CSIO Barcelona. © Arnd Bronkhorst Photography

For GLOCK’s London there’s a bunch of carrots from Evelien Schröder and her daughter Lisa. © Danielle Smits /Arnd Bronkhorst

Aged 17 and full of energy. GLOCK’s London at the farewell celebrated at CHIO Twente with Gerco Schröder. © Danielle Smits /Arnd Bronkhorst

Gerco and GLOCK’s London at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where the duo won silver individual and team medals. © Arnd Bronkhorst

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