It remains a dream to experience the moment when a horse you bred is crowned Jumping Horse of the Year 2024 powered by Van Santvoort Makelaars. The Viscaal family has had the honor of living this dream. The Cassini Gold son Imagine earned the most public votes in this prestigious election. The stunning grey horse rightfully basked in the spotlight.

A total of six top horses were nominated for the award, including three dressage and three jumping horses. Over 5,000 votes were cast, highlighting the popularity of this election. Imagine received the most votes, and he achieved this success alongside rider Kim Emmen, with whom he performed brilliantly at the Paris Olympic Games. “Our performance last weekend in Amsterdam was disappointing, but I’m certainly looking to do better in Basel! If we make a solid plan together, we definitely have a chance to compete at the European Championships,” Kim shared.

A gift
Breeder Conny Viscaal was present at the award ceremony: “Before the Olympics, there were already successes, and in Paris it was fantastic; every faultless round was a gift!” The Viscaal family from Albergen bred Imagine out of Audi’s Nigel, a star performance mare by Lord Z, who also competed at the highest level. She came to the Viscaal family as a teaching horse for daughter Joy and later became part of the breeding program. Imagine was the fifth foal after four offspring, including two international showjumpers.

Three times faultless
Imagine's first successes came with Irish rider Conor Drain in the saddle. In the autumn of 2023, Kim Emmen took over the reins, and the partnership clicked immediately. Their path to Paris was paved with several successes. In Valencia, the pair jumped two faultless rounds in the Big Tour, and at the Maastricht Grand Prix earlier this year, they were also flawless in both rounds, finishing fourth. During the Olympic Games, everyone was impressed by the reserve rider, who replaced Willem Greve but managed to stay faultless in the first three rounds.

GJ for KWPN
Photo Imagine: Dirk Caremans