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Celebrating Uthopia, Carl Hester’s small but mighty stallion who propelled Britain into the dressage stratosphere

On the eve of the 2025 European Dressage Championships when Britain is once again among the favourites for a medal, we look back at a major catalyst of this nation’s success between the white boards. Carl Hester’s ride Uthopia, who secured Britain’s first European team gold in 2011, helped build the country’s status as champions on the world dressage stage. In this piece from the H&H archives, Alice Collins charts this stallion’s eventful career
Alice Collins Alice Collins

    • It’s not an exaggeration to say that Uthopia was the launchpad to Britain realising – after a lengthy medal drought – that team gold was within reach. Uthopia and Carl Hester stepped up to top level in 2010 and, just a year later, won the grand prix at the European Championships with 82.5%.

    Until then, British gold was a pipe dream. Such has been Britain’s subsequent success that it’s hard to remember just how unlikely it seemed for so long. And that’s thanks, in large part, to a small black stallion who bounced like a pogo stick – and continues to thrive in retirement at Carl’s at the age of 24.

    “Uti” was bred in the Netherlands and bought as a rough-and-ready three-year-old with a chewed tail by Dutch young horse producer Ivonne Lawrence, who had gone to view another horse.

    Mare and foal

    Uthopia as a foal, with his dam Odelia

    “There was this little miniature horse looking at me with his beautiful face,” says Ivonne. “Uthopia was very small and had only been under saddle five times, but I sat on him and in my whole life I’ve never felt a horse like it. He had so much suspension it was like a trampoline, and cantering him felt like shooting off to the moon.”

    Based on that exceptional feeling, Ivonne put concerns over his size aside. Uti was easy to train; if he learnt something once, he never forgot it. The pair finished seventh in the Pavo Cup final for four-year-olds and, although she was reluctant to sell the little guy, she forced her business head to overrule her heart and put him on the market. Step forward Carl Hester, shopping for a client.

    Young horse doing dressage

    “Uthopia was easy to train; if he learnt something once he never forgot it,” says his first producer Ivonne Lawrence

    How Uthopia landed with Carl Hester

    Back at the Athens Olympics in 2004, Sasha Stewart was eventing for Ireland.

    “I met Carl and told him I wanted to be a dressage rider when I grew up,” she says.

    So, on a shopping trip to Holland, he was looking for a horse for each of them.

    “Uthopia was the first horse I saw when I got off the plane in Amsterdam,” says Carl. “I had one quick sit on him and although he was very small, riding him was like jumping on a trampoline. He was so bouncy, energetic and sweet. I thought he’d be perfect for Sasha.

    “I rang her and said, ‘As it’s the first one I’ve seen, you can have him and I’ll find something bigger for me.’ I never did.”

    Sasha adds: “When I tried Uthopia I said, ‘He’s amazing, I love him, I’m taking him home.’”

    A deal was struck and Uti went to Ireland.

    “He threw me off the first day,” she admits. “He did this extravagant pirouette and I just plopped off like a total beginner, which was a surprise. Uti then galloped around my property and jumped a huge hedge with all his tack on. I thought, ‘Oh good, he jumps as well.’”

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