Germany's Simone Blum etched her name in the history books this past year when she became the first female winner of the individual show jumping competition in the history of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ and only the second woman to top the podium since the inception of the World Championships in 1953. Aboard her trusty and equally as impressive partner, DSP Alice, the duo dominated a packed field of international talent to take home the top honors in Tryon, N.C.
"She's always fighting, she has the biggest heart," Simone said of DSP Alice after their win in Tryon. "She was jumping her heart out for me. I knew she could win the hearts of the world."
Simone bought "Elsi" as a 7-year-old from Stephen Buchheim. The mare was elegant, fiery, self-assured – all qualities she still possesses at 11 and are well-suited to a World Champion.
“She is truly a mare, and she needs a relationship between herself and her people," Simone said. "I think it’s important to let her express her character, and I just let her be herself.”
Noëlle Floyd readers have a good eyes for great horses. In 2017, DSP Alice was voted the Breakout Horse of the Year for the NF Best of Awards. At the beginning of 2017, DSP Alice had yet to compete beyond the CSI4* level but went on to win no less than five CSI5* classes, including a first place finish in the Longines Grand Prix of Lausanne CSI5*.
The rest, of course, is history.
Get to know Simone and DSP Alice. Continue Reading:
A Cut Above: DSP Alice’s Rise to StardomThe Future Is Female, and It Has Arrived: Simone Blum Is the Show Jumping World Champion We've Been Waiting For
Why 1986 World Champion Gail Greenough Celebrates Simone Blum and Female Horsepower Post-WEG
The annual Noëlle Floyd Best Of Awards celebrate the horses and riders who soar to great heights, the community leaders who move the needle in the sport, and the extra special moments that define our shared love of horses. For the 2018 NF Awards, we created short lists of extraordinary individuals who stood out to us this year, and then we handed it over to you to determine who is the best of the best. Turning out a record number of votes in NF Awards history, we heard you loud and clear. Now we’re rolling out the red carpet. One by one, we’ll announce the winners of all ten categories between now and the New Year.
Photos by Shannon Brinkman.