If there was one pair that made an impression during the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen last Sunday, it was the Baltic VDL son Ilex, ridden by American McLain Ward. While many expected Ward to bring his experienced mare Callas to the Olympics, he chose Ilex, bred by Gijs Maris from Berg en Dal. “Ilex is like a teenager growing into an adult body, not yet realizing how strong he is,” Ward describes the eleven-year-old, large-framed gelding.

Ward has been riding Ilex (out of Calendula ster IBOP-spr PROK by Chin Chin) since January this year, so the preparation for the Olympics has been brief. “There’s quite a story behind how I got the chance to buy Ilex,” Ward laughs. “About a year and a half ago, a Spanish friend tipped me off after seeing Ilex, but the horse wasn’t for sale. Eventually, the owner gave me the chance to ride Ilex, and I seized the opportunity. It took us about three to four months to finalize the deal, but we couldn’t make it happen until my wife and I were allowed to partially invest in him with the promise that we’d pursue high-level sport.” And so it happened.

From regional champion to the Olympic Games

At six years old, Ilex was purchased by Bonne Chance Farm from VDL Stud. Co-owner Marcel de Boer trained and developed him as a young horse after Ilex began his jumping career under Don Sas. VDL Stud rider Alex Chitty won the regional championship in the 1.20m with Ilex as a six-year-old, and now the Olympic Games await. In addition to McLain Ward and his wife, Bonne Chance Farm remains a co-owner. Brazilian Alexandre Gadelha was the first to compete internationally with Ilex, and Canadian Bruno Martins Costa briefly took the reins. From 1.35m onwards, Brazilian Fabio Leivas da Costa took over, preparing Ilex for his first 1.60m courses before McLain Ward guided him to his first Olympic Games.

Not just a participant, but a medal contender
“It’s a very short timeline to the Olympics. The entire team made a plan for him, and everyone stuck to it, especially Ilex,” Ward says, praising the horse. “I wanted to give myself every chance for the Olympics and not rely on just one horse. So, alongside Callas, I wanted to prepare Ilex for the possibility of competing in the Games. Moreover, I don’t just want to qualify or be a filler on the start list; I want to fight for medals. Ultimately, the U.S. selection committee preferred Ilex. He’s performed fantastically over the past few months, is super fit, and is the right age.” While the Casall daughter Callas has more experience, she’s now sixteen, which isn’t necessarily a disadvantage. It only shows how much confidence there is in the Ilex-McLain Ward combination.

“He’s a Beast”
“He’s a beast,” Ward laughs when asked to describe Ilex. “He’s such an incredibly good horse, a very strong athlete. He often does too much, so the challenge is to guide and restrain him. He has a fantastic attitude and always gives his all.” Despite not being together long, Ward is clear about his ambitions. “We’re going to the Olympics to win. If you look at our Nations Cup results, that might not seem believable. But we have a very strong team. Laura Kraut and Baloutinue are experienced, Kent Farrington is bringing Greya, a very good, still young, horse in great form, and I can say the same about Ilex. Because we have younger horses, we’ve had some ups and downs in results as we’ve tried different things. But the most important thing is that we have the right horses ready at the right time.” That seems to be the case with Ward and Ilex’s recent second place in the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen and Farrington and Greya’s victory in the Rolex Grand Prix of La Baule.

A big career ahead for Ilex
“In Tokyo, we performed fantastically as a team,” Ward recalls his Olympic team silver medal. “The Nations Cups are no indication; I believe Switzerland is the strongest team right now, but they even finished behind us in Aachen. So that really means nothing.” Alongside his Tokyo team silver, Ward has won two Olympic team golds (Athens and Hong Kong) and another team silver (Rio de Janeiro). With horses like HH Azur, Clinta, and Contagious, Ward has had some outstanding mounts. Does Ilex belong in that list? “It’s hard to compare these horses; they’re all extremely good and different. But I’m convinced that Ilex has a similar career ahead of him. Also, as a rider, I’m better than I was back then. That’s the beauty of equestrian sport. I know more, I’ve learned more, so if I had those horses now, I’d know how to get even better results with them. That’s definitely an advantage for Ilex,” Ward says, offering promising words for the future.

Two Baltic VDL offspring
Ilex isn’t the only Baltic VDL offspring heading to the Olympics. Leone Jei, the silver medalist from the 2021 European Championships in Riesenbeck, will also make his Olympic debut under Swiss rider Martin Fuchs. In the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen, these two showcased their abilities. While Ilex finished second, Leone Jei was faster but had a jumping fault, resulting in fourth place. Was Ward aware that these horses share the same sire? “Yes, I’m definitely aware of that. Both horses have incredible scope, a large canter, power, and plenty of blood. They also share a similar front leg technique. However, Ilex is larger with more body, while Leone Jei is more thoroughbred in build. Both horses are very high quality,” Ward asserts.

Changes paid off
American McLain Ward has been in Europe with Ilex since June. In La Baule, France, the gelding jumped with four faults over two rounds, and then Aachen was on the agenda. “The focus was really on Aachen as preparation for the Olympics. I wasn’t entirely satisfied after the team event; I felt a few things needed to change. So, I made some adjustments to his bridle and training, and it worked out fantastically. Normally, I would have done things differently, but a short timeline leads to these decisions, and now I’m very glad I made them. I feel even more confident heading into Paris,” Ward concludes.

Source: JM for KWPN
Photo: Dirk Caremans