Aachen World Championships: Massa almost fielding his own team

While French dressage will be represented this week in Aachen by the four combinations selected by the FFE, French breeding will also be prominently seen through no fewer than three horses, enough to form a theoretical team, all bred by Sylvain Massa.

Three horses, three riders, three nations… and a single breeding farm. In Aachen, where the world’s top combinations are gathering this week for the World Championships, the Massa stud farm boasts a truly unique level of representation. Come Back de Massa, Jedaï de Massa, and Carpe Diem de Massa will be competing under the flags of Canada, Belgium, and Israel, respectively ; a presence that effectively allows the Provençal stud farm to field its own theoretical team for these World Championships.

At 14 years old, Come Back de Massa will partner with Denielle Gallagher-Legriffon on the Canadian team. The pair had already qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Come Back de Massa brings the history of his breeding line to Aachen, specifically that of his sire, Galopin de la Font, bred by Sylvain Massa in 1994 following the 1978 acquisition of his dam, Pezuda Oco in Portugal, who is also the maternal grandmother of Jibraltar de Massa. Among the 45 offspring of Galopin de la Font, who competed at the 2010 World Championships in Lexington, Malcom X de Massa (French Pro 1 Champion with Pierre Volla in 2025 and pre-selected for these World Championships with the French team).

For Belgium, Wim Verwimp will ride on the 12-year-old Jedaï de Massa; the pair won the Belgian Championship title last May, marking Verwimp's return to the top of the national podium thirty-two years after his first victory. Finally, the 14-year-old Carpe Diem de Massa will compete as an individual for Israel with Micah Deligdish, a partnership accustomed to the Florida circuit that has now crossed the Atlantic for the first time. It is a return to the Old Continent for this son of Maestro, who was trained and brought up to Grand Prix level by Patrick Rodde.

The first part of the Grand Prix is scheduled tomorrow morning (see HERE)

pictures: DR