The world of horse sport is a very unique environment; no other sport shares the spotlight with a live, unpredictable animal. To make it in this world you must be a good rider, but equally important, you must have the right horse. “Team horses are the one percent of the one percent; a very elite group of animals,” says top Canadian show jumper, coach and trainer Chris Sorensen, owner of Sorensen Stables in Palgrave, ON. Horses that compete at this top level in the Olympic disciplines can cost in excess of a million dollars, and in some cases, such as show jumping, you may need several of them to remain competitive in the global arena.

Bless the brave investors

Most riders don’t have the financial means to invest in one horse, let alone a handful of them. In the majority of cases, top riders around the world rely on a sound partnership with an owner to help pave the way to success and make it onto national teams by investing in horses for them.

An investor can be anyone from a wealthy family member or friend who has a passion for horses and the sport, to non-horsey people who want to participate in a unique investment opportunity via a syndicate. Angelstone Partners (headed by Toronto businessmen Ted Yew and Bobby Rhee, with horses developed by Canadian rider Keean White), Inshowjumpers in the UK (see sidebar), and Springpaarden Fonds Nederland (SFN) are examples of syndicates who are dedicated to developing jumping horses for world competitions.

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