Capital Commander is by Comme Il Faut. Comme Il Faut is a son of Cornet Obolensky out of the great Ratina Z, about as strong a start as a modern pedigree can offer. Licensed in 2007, he took silver at the World Championships for five-year-olds in 2010, and under Marcus Ehning went on to win team silver at the 2019 European Championships in Rotterdam along with the World Cup of Madrid and the Grand Prixs of Vienna and Brussels. He now sits among the top handful of sires on the WBFSH jumping ranking.

Commander’s dam, Capital Cherish, is by Capital Colnardo. Colnardo is a son of the Holstein stallion Colman, himself by the legendary Carthago, and he carries the best of Holstein through Cor de la Bryère, Capitol I and Corrado I. He is no mere pedigree name either, having jumped to 1.60m with Jennifer Gates in the United States. Cherish’s own dam, Capital Letisele, is by Cassini II, the full brother of Cassini I and another son of Capitol I, giving the dam side a double measure of Holstein’s most trusted jumping blood.

The horse himself matches the pedigree. Commander has plenty of personality and an intelligent mind, and above all the attitude of a competitor: he gives everything to his work and produces expressive, uphill movement from an active hindleg. With Grand Prix credentials above and Holstein power beneath, he is a prospect for an ambitious rider aiming at the bigger classes.