One would almost like to say: At last it has worked out! After countless second places – sometimes in very significant show jumping competitions – Monaco by Cassini II-Contender celebrated the absolute grand victory. The Holsteiner has often been dubbed the "eternal second". But that is over now. Now his time had come – and what is more, in the Rolex Grand Prix of Geneva in mid-December. The 16-year-old Monaco secured 400,000 euros in prize money, thus creating a fantastic moment in his sporting career. In the saddle: his long-time rider Harrie Smolders (NED).
Until he was three and a half years old, Monaco stood in the stable of his breeder Ralf Lütje in Haseldorf, before Roland Metzler received the gelding from line 429 for backing. Only two months later, Alessandro Mingoli discovered Monaco in Holstein and brokered him to Italy. There, however, he did not get off to a particularly good start – initially, the right rider could not be found for this sensitive horse. As a seven-year-old, he then moved to Axel Verlooy's stable in Belgium and thus into the training of Harrie Smolders. The two grew together into a world-class pair, and the bay brought home a team silver medal for the Dutch from the World Championships in Herning in 2022. In Geneva, Monaco now led the lap of honour.
Photo: Stefan Laffrentz
