After 7 beautiful years with H&M Challenge van de Begijnakker at our sides, we had to tell him goodbye. It was Ludo's last GP horse. Together they collected some precious memories, like their 3rd place in Spruce Meadows GP in 2012!
Our story with H&M Challenge van de Begijnakker is one that touches the whole family and one that can and will never ever be forgotten. "I met Challenge eight years ago during the Nations Cup in Aachen. I saw immediately what a great talent he had and that he was a hard worker with an amazing personality.", smiles Ludo. "One year later we launched our partnership. We were a great team and so we rode a lot of competitions. We have so many good memories together, but the best one for me is the GP in Calgary. Another fantastic adventure we had together was our first clear round during the Nations Cup in Aachen in 2013. Since Challenge really earned this victory, I wanted to win so badly... Unfortunately, the last fence fell off in the second round. Anyway, our teamwork led us to a selection for the European Championships in Herning. Unluckily, he got an injury at his eye and had to take some rest for a while. He stayed in the Horse Clinic in Rocourt, where I visited him regularly. This made our connection even stronger. Challenge was no quitter, he made his comeback in 2014 at Jumping Lummen." Ludo continues, "When I took a step back Nicola, Olivier and even Anthony rode him. My sons were also successful with Challenge because of his amazing character. Due to an injury, we took the decision to give him his deserved rest and so he goes back to the family Keisse. I couldn't be more grateful for our seven years together as a team. He can now enjoy the fields after his life as at the top.
Thank you for everything, Challenge!
