Olivier, and so the whole We live Horses family had to say goodbye to H&M Extra this week, the twelve-year-old stallion that belonged to the Spronken family. In the past few years, H&M Extra made a lot of progression under the saddle of Olivier Philippaerts, rising to a top horse achieving amazing results.
H&M Extra was the apple of Leon Spronken’s eye. The stallion made some nice progression over the past few years. “H&M Extra came to us at the age of five.”, says Olivier. “We evolved a lot together, achieving some great results. I’m thinking about the Nations Cup in Spruce Meadows, for example, helping out Belgium towards the victory. Or the Nations Cup Finals in Barcelona later that year, sealing the silver medal. H&M is a horse with a golden personality, a hard worker with whom I had a really good bond. I’m happy to bring him to this level and proud of the performances we achieved worldwide. H&M Extra is ready now for the next step in his career. I wish him all the best with his new rider. I’m also very grateful for the beautiful memories I got with him thanks to the family Spronken.”
But also Thibault really appreciates the family Spronken for the chances he got with H&M Extra. “Four years ago, I debuted at Spruce Meadows with him and participated at the European Championships. H&M Extra was there when I made my entrance on the highest level. I will miss him in our stables.”
