ITALIAN SHOW JUMPING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Le Siepi – Cervia
17/20 april 2025
The 2025 edition Cervia Italian Show Jumping Championships will be long-remembered.
Not just because by winning the title of Italian champion Paolo Paini got the first medal of his career, but because he did so riding Casal Dorato, a horse born and bred in Italy.
And so a Sella Italiano was once again placed in top position a good 18 years after Nadir di San Patrignano won in 2007 with Jerry Smit.
This time, however, Italy’s success in breeding was completed by Excaliburg, placed second with Emilio Bicocchi, and Doha delle Roane, third with Fabio Brotto, who bred him, for an all-Italian podium.
This had never happened before in the history of the Italian Show Jumping Championships, at least not in the ‘modern era’, i.e. since 1967.
It was Bicocchi’s 6th medal in an Italian championship, 3 of them gold, while it was Brotto’s 4th after the bronze medal he won in 2021 with Vanità delle Roane, a maternal sister of Doha. Paolo Paini, who throughout he career has always ridden Italian horses, has been riding Casal Dorato for just over two seasons. «It was love at first sight,» said the new Italian champion. – «As soon as I got into the saddle when I went to try him out, I realised he was special».
And so the Italian bay was acquired by Fabrizia Stefani, Paini’s partner. Casal Dorato was born in 2015 in Pisa, bred by Norina Santoni and her son Fabio Franchini.
He was sired by Holsteiner Casalito and Italian mare Elsa di Villa Emilia. This broodmare, sired by Tamino di Villa Emilia, a son of Silvano, and out of mare also a daughter of Silvano, is therefore the bearer of close inbreeding to performer stallion Silvano, a KWPN stallion also Italian Champion with Giorgio Nuti at Punta Ala in 1984.
History repeats itself…
results:
Paolo Paini – Casal Dorato (S.I. 2015)
Casalito / Elsa di Villa Emilia (Tamino di Villa Emilia x Silvano)
Emilio Bicocchi – Excaliburg (S.I. 2016)
Kannan / Escada (Euro-Star x Ehrentusch)
Fabio Brotto – Doha delle Roane (S.I. 2013)
Cristo / Realtà delle Roane (Ahorn Z x Maigueside XX)
Riccardo Pisani – Chatolinue PS (OS 2013)
Chacco Lover / Stanezza (Stakkatol x Continue)
Gabriele Grassi – Deja Vu de Hus (S.F. 2013)
Ulixe / U-Sprit (Baloubet du Rouet x Zeus)
