On Thursday, July 16th, Hyperion Stud announced the departure of their stallion Imothep from the stables of rider Darragh Kenny of Ireland.
During the three seasons that Kenny rode the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion (Indoctro x Calvados) the pair achieved global recognition and many international finishes, most notably at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, where they finished 12th individually.
“The horse was a super horse for me, he was amazing for my career and he made a lot of dreams come true for me,” Kenny said. “I was lucky that from the start with him we got on really well together. That was important for the end results – that we always had a good connection together.”
“I think that the combination [of Imothep and Darragh] put us on the map. It was not just Darragh and it was not just us,”
Imothep is known to be a quirky ride and often was expressive in the ring and on course. But during his time under Kenny, the stallion built up a notable performance record and rose in popularity as a breeding stallion. Kenny’s Oakland Ventures is based in Wellington, Florida during the winter season, and since April his stable has trained full time out of a Weert, Belgium base. Hyperion Stud is based in Barboursville, Virginia with a Wellington location, and has stallions and prospects competing under various riders around the world.
“I think that the combination [of Imothep and Darragh] put us on the map. It was not just Darragh and it was not just us,” commented Hyperion owner, Vicky Castegren. “This was not an easy decision for myself and my team to make, especially after the tremendous success our horses achieved with Darragh Kenny. He is an extremely talented rider of the sport and my hope is that his success continues for many years to come.”
It is unknown whether the minor injury Imothep picked up earlier this spring contributed to the reason for the change in rider, but Castegren confirmed that the stallion will be recovered and back to jumping in six weeks.
“This is not a falling out situation, it is simply us having to make a very tough choice to move forward,” Castegren added. “It hasn’t been an easy road, but we’re really grateful for where we went and what we did.”
Castegren shared that Imothep will remain in Europe throughout the 2015 season under an as-of-yet undetermined rider.
Castegren shared that Imothep will remain in Europe throughout the 2015 season under an as-of-yet undetermined rider. She hopes to see the talented stallion go on to perform at the 2016 Olympics, and with more opportunities to compete in CSI2*s to CSI5* shows in Europe, it is simply more convenient for Imothep to continue to be based overseas.
“It’s sad for me that he left the stables, but that’s the choice people make and that’s the way it goes,” Kenny said. “I was lucky to have the horses from them, and it was a great experience while it lasted. Everyone makes the decisions that are best or them, and I hope the horses go great for whoever else rides them.”