Big Star

Big Star (foaled 1 June 2003) is a Dutch Warmblood stallion who competes in show jumping with the British rider Nick Skelton. Part of the gold medal team at the London Olympics, Big Star was elected the KWPN horse of the year and formed a partnership with Skelton in 2012. After good performances in the following year, he was temporarily taken out of competition because of a leg injury. Skelton has described the bay stallion, son of Quick Star and grandson of Nimmerdor as "the best horse he has ever ridden". Apart from his show-jumping, Big Star is a successful breeding stallion, licensed in 21 studbooks for sport horses. Some of his foals have won notable victories. Background Big Star, foaled on 1 June 2003, is a bay stallion with three white socks bred in the Netherlands by Cees T. Klaver. Sources have described him as standing either 1.72 metres or 1.67 metres. He is a son of the stallion Quick Star and is registered in the KWPN studbook. A Dutch horse dealer, Egbert Schep, acquired Big Star at the age of three years and sold the horse to the sponsors of Nick Skelton, Gary and Beverley Widdowson. The Widdowsons have been friends and supporters of Skelton for years. Show-jumping career The stallion began his career at the highest level in 2010, at the age of 7 years. The following year, he won several Grand Prix competitions in Wellington. Big Star then won the Hamburg Grand Prix in May 2012.