Nicknamed Tiny at home, this stallion is a fighter in the ring but an affectionate softy in the stable. Jennifer Donald meets Denis Lynch’s Tokyo prospect
Cristello
Age: 14
Height: 176cm (nearly 17.2hh)
Breeding: KWPN by Numero Uno out of Volstelle (by Voltaire)
Rider: Denis Lynch (Ireland)
Breeder: Wilma Wigink-Markvoort (Netherlands)
Owner: Onyx Consulting
Greatest achievements: won CSI5* grand prix, Saint-Tropez (September 2020), won the CSI5* Golden Drum of Basel (January 2020); jumped in top-league Nations Cups and won the silver medal at the Dutch championships with Kevin Jochems (2019).
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"}
You can also read this feature in the 27 May issue of Horse & Hound magazine.
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Credit: TREVOR MEEKS
“I cannot be a true competitor without my team”
H&H showjumping editor
Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.