Aachen, August 28th, 2006

Checkmate elected "Horse of the Year"

The Hanoverian gelding, Checkmate won the "Horse of the Year 2005" readers' vote initiated by the German equestrian sport magazine "Reiter Revue International". The 11-year-old dark bay ridden by Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum accounted for 24.77 percent of the submitted votes. "Joey" or "Happy Monkey", as he is called at the Beerbaum Stables, was nominated as the reserve horse for the World Championships in Aachen.

The Contender son was bred by Renate Gerlach in Sulingen and is owned by Nancy Clark. Checkmate's biggest victories in 2005 included winning team gold at the European Championships in San Patrignano and taking first place in the Grand Prix of Neumunster, Munster and Wiesbaden. This year Checkmate won the World Cup Jumping in Gothenburg and s´Hertogenbosch and came fifth at the World Cup Jumping Final in Kuala Lumpur.

His rider Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum comments: "I have never ridden a horse before, that is always in a good mood every day." At the prize-giving ceremony during the German Breeding Day programme, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum was presented with a painting by the German artist, Kerstin Tschech. Checkmate received a new head collar and a show blanket.