Wonderboy III sold.

[tigers_eye]

According to a french website, who quote Studforlife as their source, Ben Maher's ride Wonderboy III has been sold to Ahmed Hamcho, who has bought several of Gregory Wathelet's best horses too apparently.

 

[LittleBlossom]

Really?? I'm not sure who owned him, did Ben have a share? Rubbish, another fabulous horse leaves our shores...

 

[LittleBlossom]

Noooooooo — http://horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/298254.html

 

[Dovorian]

As has been said before on this forum, the rider/owner probably had a good reason to make the horse available for sale. Plus he still has the lovely Robin Hood W.

 

[LittleBlossom]

Well there was that feature in H&H that said how Ben has a small breeding programme, so he'll obviously have stuff coming up through the ranks soon enough. And yes, there's always the lovely Robin. Just sad when cracking horses go to jump for someone else!

 

[amyneave]

horse and hound said he had lots of top quality rides coming through.

 

[Lollii]

Oh no! I saw him at Oylmpia, he was so lovely

I wish Ben had told me he was for sale, I would have brought him (joke!)

 

[Andalusianlover]

Very sad indeed. I actually preferred Wonderboy to Robinhood! Lets hope this top british horse doesnt disappear into obscurity like most of the other ones sold abroad in the past few years!

Dreadful dreadful shame!

By the looks of it the purchaser has a bottomless pit of money which is hard to resist even by Quainton Stud and ben Maher!

 

[LittleBlossom]

Well the sad truth is that winnings don't go anywhere — they have to run a business in order to compete at that level and selling horses is how they do it

 

[wonkey_donkey]

That's another big loss to British show jumping :-(

 

[SJFAN]

Potentially a huge loss to our team, and I'm suprised though of course I don't blame anyone for accepting huge sums of money. His previous rider will be heartbroken as she adored him. Robin Hood has yet to recover the brilliant form he showed last year so Ben may not get to WEG this year.

 

[joeanne]

You really have to feel for Ben. Thats the second hugely talented horse he has had sold literally from beneath him.

 

[SJFAN]

Another potential GB team horse has been sold abroad. Little Tinka who had been going consistently well with Mandy Goosen (who is based in Germany) is now the ride of Italy's Gianni Govoni.

 

[sport horse]

I doubt that 'poor Ben' is appropriate. Ben actually owned half of Wonderboy and I suspect he would have been instrumental in any sale so I guess 'wealthy Ben' might be much more to the point.

 

[Helbert]

Just had a look on Quainton's website (http://www.quaintonstud.co.uk/quainton-stud-news.html) and they seem quite possitive about the sale and the other horses they have waiting in the wings. Seems they own a few jointly with Ben. So, I am sure he is fully aware of the horses that are ready to be sold etc.
Still stunning horse (I do like a big strong looking grey) shame to loose him. But as my friends keep saying - "It is a business!"