An unlikely legend

The feats accomplished by the heroes of modern show jumping are often talked about; it is impossible to forget the accomplishments of Valegro and his rider Charlotte Dujardin, who for years dominated the dressage scene. The pair were true specialists in setting records, including those related to audience share, and they hold the highest percentage ever achieved in a Freestyle Grand Prix. The old record was set by Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas, but in 2013 the British pair broke that record with a 93.75%  score at the London Olympia, and then a year later they went on to beat their own record, once again at the London Olympia, setting the current score of 94.3%.In show jumping, the biggest attractions are those who shine in the 1.60m track; a competition that requires a perfect blending of power, to overcome the obstacle, technique and speed to achieve victory. So, who holds the for the highest jump?To answer that question we have to go all the way back to 1949, the 5th of February to be precise. On that day, in Chile, Captain Alberto Larraguibel Morales jumped an astounding two metres 47 centimetres on the back of Huaso. Born in Chile in 1933, the formerly named Faithful, started his career in horse racing but was later retrained for the dressage but would go on to suffer an injury which could have cost him his life. The decision to spare the thoroughbred was taken by his owner of the time Captain Gaspar Lueje, who instead opted for a recovery therapy which left Huaso with a slight limp in his posterior left leg and put an end to his career n dressage. The last avenue available was show jumping, and Huaso was specialized in the greatest heights, but often proved excessively nervous and difficult to handle. The horse was then taken to the Army Cavalry Academy, in the city of Quillota. There, the name was changed to Huaso and he was handed to Captain Alberto Larraguibel for training. He trained the horse for over two years specifically for the world record. He first targeted the national record, then the South-American and finally, the world one; and to this day he is still the holder of the record. The Chilean people still remember the achievements of the duo and erected a statue in their honour at Vina Del Mar, where the record was registered by the International Equestrian Federation. Source: www.guinnessworldrecords.comGuarda il video su Youtube Photo: Revista Estadio Nº 303, contratapa, 5 de marzo de 1949 http://www.descubre.bibliotecanacional.cl Biblioteca Nacional(MC)