John Whitaker competes Gem Twist!

...yes, you read it correctly:
this is ~NOT~ Milton here folks, this is very rare footage of John Whitaker riding Milton's rival-- Gem Twist himself!
Ironic that one man would be so blessed, as to experience the TWO greatest horses ever known to showjumping. I can't WAIT to see what manner of talent Gem's clone will display!
Footage is from the 1990 inaugural World Equestrian Games, where Gem was given the (official!) title of "World's Best Horse".
Gem can also be seen in the following video, winning the largest grand prix of all time:
• Gem Twist wins (former...
As always, don't forget to check out the crazily-cute baby of the barn:
• BABY SHOWJUMPING: the ...
Courtesy of Martin Bird Productions, and Equestrian Vision

[@2101lovelilly]

watching him just float through combinations is amazing : D

[@ImmortalSynn]

Though just as an FYI sorta thing, that's why Gem was given the official title of World's Best Horse at these inaugural games... as he had the fewest faults, over all courses, under 4 different riders.

[@xxheatherandcoppayxx]

an amazing horse, John rode him very well, I wonder if there will ever be another like Gem Twist or Milton...

[@butterflied08]

He cantered over those first few fences like a working hunter- what a pro. Can't wait to see what Gemini's going to do!!

[@ImmortalSynn]

"I might've had just a weeeee bit to do with that." ~signed, Gem

[@ImmortalSynn]

Indeed... could you IMAGINE what it must've been like to go from Milton, to Gem, and back again?? That had to be beyond incredible!

[@ImmortalSynn]

Gem was (now one of many) legendary horses who's been successfully cloned. Google "Gem Twist clone" and you'll easily find pictures of the foal, they're everywhere.

[@ImmortalSynn]

Milton won more money, but let's not forget, Gem was the recipient of the OFFICIAL TITLE of "World's Best Horse" in 1990.

[@MarkRobertCuthbert]

yes John Whitaker is still a great horseman going strong at 53 I remember him on the Irish bred gelding Ryan's Son (1984 Olympic Team Silver) - I heard a story after Gem Twist won 1988 Olympic Silver medal, David Broome (Gbr) wanted to buy him, price in 1988 $2 million !!!

[@jeveuxlesoleil]

This entire dispute can be resolved by recognizing that Gem's the better horse, but John's the better rider.

[@ImmortalSynn]

Part of the reason for clones aging early is that they inherit the cellular telomere structure of the original donor in an aged state. The easiest way to think of it would be to imagine building an ultra-modern skyscraper here in 2009, with bricks taken from the pyramids (dating back to 1500BC). If however, they were able to get Gem's stem cells, this problem could be avoided to a much larger degree.

[@MsDerell]

ça a l'air tellement facile quand on le regarde .. John Whitaker est vraiment une légende, surtout avec Milton

[@ImmortalSynn]

You can also see both Charisma and Priceless (and others, along with Murphy Himself) in my video "Thrills & Spills: crosscountry champions"

[@LitleDusk]

"Part of the reason for clones aging early is that they inherit the cellular telomere structure of the original donor in an aged state. " AKA: They're born with the cells of the aged animal, shortening their lifespan, causing premature death. The technology has overcome that particular problem, also since the sample was from his chest skin.

[@hunterjumpergal171]

Thank you for posting this!

[@lauraalovesyouu]

Wow he makes the jumps look so incredibly easy.

[@Pineapple2412]

John Withaker is just amazing. And this is from Stockholm! :D Did you know that they had green sand instead of grass?

[@TBsPlease]

Although John Whitaker rides both horses exceedingly well, there's no question that Gem Twist is the better horse -- it's those good ol' freakishly-athletic Double Jay jumping genes! Anyone with eyes can see that Gem is the better jumper.

[@ImmortalSynn]

Neither can I!! Granted, it's going to be about another half-decade before we get even the faintest inkling of how he'll perform... but oh well, I'm willing to wait!

[@ImmortalSynn]

That's Gem too, doing the previous full round with his actual partner (Greg Best) and not his exchanged catch-rider (John Whitaker).

[@ImmortalSynn]

1990 World Equestrian Games

[@dbertobis]

No doubt that Gem Twist for his character, his will and tremendous talent, has probably been the best horse of the world together with Jappeloup de Luze and Milton. But Gem was definitely the ultimate showjumper and also the beauty itself.

[@ImmortalSynn]

Indeed. And now that he finally has sired offspring (via his clones), I can't wait to see how they turn out!

[@pil1grim]

Amazing. They look an established partnership!

[@ImmortalSynn]

No. The 1990 games were won by Eric Navet & Quito de Baussy. I don't believe I have one of Midnight Madness, but can look through some of my tapes and see. :)

[@ImmortalSynn]

Though I'm not sure if it's David Broome who ranks with the highest offer, I do know that Michael Golden turned down several multi-million dollar offers for Gem. Also agree that Ryan's Son was incredible, as was Milton... though, my favorite horse of Whitaker's is actually EVEREST GRANNUSCH.

[@ImmortalSynn]

Indeed... and his clone is looking more and more like him every day!

[@ImmortalSynn]

Here's hoping! ;)

[@ImmortalSynn]

I remember such a horse, but not sure if it's with him. I do know that that horse went on to do Puissance classes almost exclusively, and last I heard, he was with McClain Ward (mid-90s)

[@ImmortalSynn]

I'll take your word for it... though I did dig out some of my old HorsePlay magazines, and that horse did indeed end up under McClain as well. If you've got old videos, I pray that I've finally met someone who can supply the holy grail of rare famous horse vids: a video of ROX DENE in action!

[@ImmortalSynn]

...if that's true, and you're so confident; then why not give a shot out to the horse's name, so we can all say we heard of him way-back-when.

[@Keymixable]

John Whitaker makes the obstacles look so small and easy to jump! Darn it

[@ImmortalSynn]

Agreed. I'm trying like heck to find the vid of Greg Best on Milton... that'd bring the comparison full-circle! :)

[@ImmortalSynn]

Apparently reading comprehension isn't your strong suit... I said "in relation to that being the cause of **HER*** death" I'm well aware Dolly didn't die due to the telomere issue, but that doesn't not mean many clones before (and after) her; particularly when cloned from mammary or flank muscle tissue; haven't.

[@ImmortalSynn]

Thnx ;)

[@ImmortalSynn]

@AdorkableLex There hasn't been much about him out there since last year... though Frank Chapot did confirm that they not only plan to compete him in addition to breeding, but plan to avidly compete him at the FEI levels, with an eye on being an Olympic potential for Laura, just like Gem was for Greg.

[@ImmortalSynn]

@AdorkableLex Welcome.

[@ImmortalSynn]

You mean aside from Gem Twist... who beat Milton in every single competition they both engaged upon, and vies with Milton for the title of "World's Best Horse": a title which Gem ~officially~ won, but Milton (who for the sake of candor, earned more money) was never able to do?

[@dbertobis]

If I am not wrong Gem was HoY in 1987,1989, 1993? Anyway who cares, he is a legend and the horse I prefer. No other thoroughbred has ever been so succesfull. As breeder, I am so sorry breeders could not have him as a Sire.

[@ImmortalSynn]

That's a pretty anecdotal assumption... in no small part because it fails to take into account that Gem lost two seasons of his competitive career due to injury, and returned to mostly domestic-only competitions which offer less money, due to the then-inexperience of his third career rider.

[@ImmortalSynn]

in reference to that, Milton's total career was also several years longer than Gem's (who remember, was sidelined with injury for two seasons) and his international career even shorter than that... he spent his last three years as a schoolmaster for Laura Chapot, not an international anchor for an already seasoned rider, so of course the earnings would "suffer." The latter's just a prejudiced opinion and nothing more. Not that you're not entitled to have it, but still prejudiced none the less.

[@GreenDayJinx93]

@suicidesilas i know! my instructor used to work for JW and got to ride milton! soo unfair!

[@ImmortalSynn]

How could he be lacking in scope when he clears any given fence with a foot of air when hyped up?

[@ImmortalSynn]

So did Greg! ;)

[@ImmortalSynn]

...which is why Gem beat Milton in all but one of the competitions within which they ever faced off, right? ;)

[@LitleDusk]

Not true. They managed to overcome that with Dolly the sheep. She only died because of a lung infection common with sheep kept indoors. (and Dolly was indoors under constant guard)

[@ImmortalSynn]

He's a little over 13months. There's some nice pics of him in Google Images, and he's already starting to grey out. Again, no one is trying to replicate Gem as a personality... just as a genotype. There'll never be another Gem Twist, so far as heart/character/personality go; but so far as breeding your mare to a horse with Good Twist/Bonne Nuit lines, then yes, this horse is equivalent to his predecessor.

[@ImmortalSynn]

...he's had several horses that can fit that description, so I have no idea which one you're talking about. I'm guessing San Patrignano Weihaiwej? Or perhaps S.P. Joly?

[@dbertobis]

Yes I was looking at it now. Mmm I am still a bit wary on clones. I think we first need to know if their life expectations are the same of the "real" horse. They become old very quickly. Kind of degeneration. But somewhere I read that with the new techniques they should survive more. But yes, if things go fine I will definitely use Gem clone for my mares.

[@nicholastierney3872]

class horse

[@ImmortalSynn]

...perhaps you mean the other 3 riders?

[@ImmortalSynn]

Interesting... can you cite those specific rules?

[@ImmortalSynn]

WRONG, they can! ...don't know how you could miss this, but Gem's been cloned. The clone obviously won't have his personality, but who cares-- his personality wouldn't be transferable to his offspring, but his genes would be, and this clone has 100% of his genotype. So it's essentially having Gem as a sire.

[@ImmortalSynn]

Well, the FACTS remain that 1) Gem placed higher than Milton in ALL but a single one of the competitions where they ever faced off against each other directly, including here with Milton's own rider aboard! And 2) Gem was awarded the first official title, over Milton, who was not. I don't know how in your world that equates to "no way any competition", but here in the real world, we prefer to rely on facts ;)

[@ImmortalSynn]

...as always, you're very welcome :)

[@Sniffysmyboy]

Does anyone know what age his clone is at now? Is anyone else skeptical about his clone's ability? I mean, you can clone is confirmation and genes but I doubt they would have the same personality. In my opinion, and it's not just my own, personality and character is what makes a show jumper. And if you need an example, look at Ratina Z and Oki Doki ridden by Alber Zoer, and my own Oki Doki who doesn't jump unless he has a good spook/bolt once a week -.-

[@zezimabiach2195]

i dont get what was so amazing, the horse jumps a few times then people clap?

[@ImmortalSynn]

@zezimabiach2195 Probably because you have no idea just what it takes to get a horse to jump a round like this, at these heights, with such incredible precision. Combine that with the fact that this is one of the two horses most commonly cited as the world's greatest, ever, makes it even more exciting for those who do know.

[@ImmortalSynn]

...that has to be about the most non-linear thought pattern I think I've ever witnessed on this site.

[@ImmortalSynn]

standard FEI heights

[@gemailoveyou]

he looks like he is fliying !! xx

[@pegasus1747]

The best make it look so easy, don't they?

[@ImmortalSynn]

Um, please show me where do you see me saying anything in relation to that being her cause of death? Dolly had a string of afflictions related to the telomere contingency, primarily because she was cloned from mammary tissue, which leaves ungulates severely susceptible to premature... and why you NEVER see a horse cloned from just about anything other than skin tissue at this point.

[@nadinelindblom]

sorry, i didnt mean it like that.. its just that ive asked soo many people if i can use their vid and no one ever replys.. im sorry again!! I wont use ur vid

[@ImmortalSynn]

@breyerhorse11 Correct

[@DorteaLykke]

Isn´t it in Sweden?? =)

[@ImmortalSynn]

...welcome :)

[@ImmortalSynn]

...uh, define "presence and sparkle", and while you're at it, please explain exactly how they pose value in a showjumper. (that's just a nice way of saying "preference is understandable, but if you're going to voice it, at least do it in something tangibly realistic") LOL

[@ImmortalSynn]

@CHEVYedsf ...seriously??

[@nadinelindblom]

can i plz use this vid!!!??? Please reply by wednesday.. if u dont i will use it since i am very sick of people not replying!! :) Thanks!!

[@ImmortalSynn]

@FieryHooves Well, when Gemini starts breeding, perhaps you'll then be able to ride a daughter or son of Gem Twist! ;)

[@ImmortalSynn]

...as would every rider at this level, lol.

[@ImmortalSynn]

@CHEVYedsf "Greg never pushed him very far. Laura challenged him." No offense, but that at least CONFIRMS that you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about... as I originally suspected.

[@ImmortalSynn]

@pegasus1747 Amen

[@ImmortalSynn]

How about "if you use my video by Wednesday, I'll report you to KZbin for copying another's material (a direct TOS violation that'd be easy for me to prove considering I doubt the likes of you knows how to remove my embedded signature)... and then proceed to inform Equestrian Vision that you're using their video clip without their permission (which I myself have... why do you think I have the only two Gem Twist videos on KZbin) In other words: I don't like being threatened with deadlines ;)

[@ImmortalSynn]

Are you dim, or just plain illiterate? Both the clip and caption box detail that this is Gem, not Milton. Whitaker rode Gem during the switchoff of the inaugural WEGs. That's the whole point of this video.

[@ImmortalSynn]

@CHEVYedsf You're mistaken, I can (and will) bar you from coming anywhere near this thread, much less posting mindless drivel to it. So perhaps the person most in need of your pathetic advice, is the one who issued it. That said, the word is "physically"... and of course someone riding a 17yr-old horse at 1.60m is going to "challenge" him. But to compare Gem's schoolmaster career with Laura, to Best (or even Howard's) FEI-level legacy with the mount, is laughable at best. Ridiculous overall.

[@Bellaqua1]

ImmortalSynn I agree

[@ImmortalSynn]

@CHEVYedsf ...seriously??