Quincy v. Quaid/As di Villagana
Year of birth: 2011
Breeder: Stall Bokhorst, Andrea and Norbert Wulf, Schillsdorf
Rider: Taizo Sugitani/JPN
Two of the three Japanese riders at the Olympic Games are riding Hannoveraner horses. In addition to Karamell M&M and Takashi Haase Shibayama, Quincy will be competing with Taizo Sugitani with the Nisshoki, the flag of the sun, on his saddle pad. The 48-year-old Japanese rider and his bay horse, born in 2011, have already competed at the 2022 World Equestrian Games in Herning/DEN and were the best pair in the Japanese team at last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou/CHN. Taizo Sugitani had already competed at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta/USA, when he was just 20 years old. He also competed at the five subsequent Games, only having to miss Beijing/CHN 2021. This makes him the Japanese with the most starts at the Summer Olympics. He has also competed in six World Equestrian Games, one World Championship and two World Cup Finals. His father Masayu Sugitani already took part in the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games, as did his grandfather Koichi Kawaguchi in 1956.
Taizo Sugitani moved to the Netherlands to work at Henk Nooren’s stables at the age of seventeen after leaving school. Ten years ago, the Japanese rider moved to Germany and took up residence at a stable in Wachtberg near Bonn. He had Quincy in his stable at the age of six. At that time, the bay had already celebrated success with Rene Dittmer and Julian Goldmeier in tests for young show jumpers up to medium (M*) level and had qualified for the Bundeschampionat. ‘Quincy is a very, very sensitive horse under the rider. But he is very friendly to handle and likes people,’ says Taizo Sugitani. ‘He loves jumping, but sometimes he gets too excited. Then I have to calm him down and focus on his tasks.’ They are now a well-rehearsed team; Taizo Sugitani and Quincy came third in the 1.55 metre Grand Prix in Szilvásvárad/HUN in May of this year. ‘I’m looking forward to Paris, I wasn’t able to be there at the last Olympic Games. All games are different and special!’
Quincy was born at Andrea and Norbert Wulf’s place in Schillsdorf in Ostholstein. The Bokhorst stables in the heart of the Holstein breeding region, just over ten kilometres from Neumünster, have been breeding Hannoveraner show jumpers for over 30 years. Quincy’s dam, St.Pr.St. Anna-Liena by As di Villagana/Graf Grannus, has three sons and one daughter who are competing in sport – all are successful in advanced show jumping competitions. First and foremost, of course, Quincy. “He was very pleasant to handle as a foal,” says Norbert Wulf. “His dam was my personal favourite horse. Her foals were all a bit special. Unfortunately, she died of colic when she was ten years of age.” Quincy was her last offspring and was sold to the Celle State Stud as a foal. His full sister, who is one year older, has been placed up to 1.40 metres and is now a broodmare. Anna-Liena’s son Crumley by Cassus was born in 2008 and was ridden by John Whitaker in 1.60 metre competitions after taking part with Francois Mathy jr. at the World Championships for young show jumpers. Casanova, who is one year younger, has six advanced (S*) level placings and 39 medium (M) level victories to his name and is currently ridden by Franziska Stein.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree: Anna-Liena’s dam St.Pr.St. Gräfin Mila’s most recent successful horse is the Marius Claudius son Mario FRH, who won the 2021 Hannoveraner Show Jumping Masters with Harm Wiebusch. In addition, there is the Flavourart Amico Mio by Stakkato, successful up to 1.60 m with the Italian Roberto Cristofoletti, and his full brother Saturn by Stakkato, who competed in advanced classes with Steffen Engfer. St.Pr.St. Gräfin Mila by Graf Grannus/Milan came to the Bokhorst stables via a newspaper advert. ‘There was no internet back then,’ says Norbert Wulf. ‘The stallion Milan was interesting for us because he had produced successful advanced (S) level show jumpers as well as dressage horses.’ Andrea Wulf travelled to the breeder Heidrun Kulp in Friedland, saw the then two-year-old mare and immediately loaded her onto the horse trailer. She also took the opportunity to ride the mare herself and prepare her for the mare performance test. Gräfin Milva passed with flying colours: 9.0 for temperament and character, 9.0 also for her scope.
Andrea and Norbert Wulf have no contact with Quincy’s rider Taizo Sugitani. That is not unusual, says Norbert Wulf and talks about the Paillot family. French rider Alexandra Paillot was successful up to 1.55 metres with the Perigueux/Quick Star son Pembroke bred by Wulfs, then he was sold. To console his daughter, the father bought the now four-year-old full brother over the phone. ‘That makes me happy as a breeder, of course.’ There are currently nine broodmares at the Bokhorst stables, which can be traced back to different mare lines. ‘Our breeding programme is broad-based,’ says Norbert Wulf and is happy about his first Olympic horse.
