Ulyss makes his debut at 150
In the CSI at Azelhof (Lier, Belgium) on the 26th of March 2017, Rik Hemeryck decided to enter Ulyss Morinda, who is now nine years old, in his first really big competition ( a Ranking 145/150). We had no idea how our stallion, who had never seen anything bigger than 145 would react. But his rider judged him ready to take the baton and seeing as it was he who had brought him through his last two years, he knew him well enough to know what he could ask of him.
In the collecting ring Ulyss jumped very well and from the first, he showed us that he is in great form. He did a great round and sadly knocked off the last but one pole, the only bar that he touched. Thus he finished with four faults.
The first event of a new series…Ulyss Morinda proved to us that he is just as able and at ease over 150 as he is over 140/145. Very promising! The most important thing is that he is visibly very confident. And we are only at the beginning!
We should remember that Ulyss Morinda didn’t compete either as a five or a six year old in the classics (the year when he won the France Hunter championship as a six year old) and he thus only has two years of experience competing under his belt, trained by Rik Hemeryck at whose yard he arrived at the beginning of his seventh year, never having jumped more than 120.
At the end of the year, he brought home the Masters for Young Selle Francais Stallions (Ulyss was classed as Very Promising by the ANSF) and as an eight year old he had his first victory over 140 in a CSI 3*, his first 145 and a 3rd place in the Chasse du CSI 2* at Longines in Paris.