Michael Matz - Chef - Aachen 1986

World Championships in Aachen 1986. Second round on day two.

[@AnimalLeftist]

One of the greatest! Chef wasn't very big, if I remember correctly. What try and form. Reminds me of today's little fireball Hickstead.

[@annie920]

What a great jumper and fabulous with his hind end, too. I wish Michael Matz was still riding grand prix.

[@3966yasmin]

What a great collection. Thank you for sharing.

[@AnimalLeftist]

@sainglain, ouch, someone with a better memory help me out here. The special you are talking about showed him schooling another chestnut he was riding at the time, much taller critter, oh, what was his name! He was a super nice horse too. Ouch. I THINK Chef had TB in him. Other than that, I got nothin'. Michael Matz was an impeccable rider. Always loved watching him ride, every horse he rode went the same, smooth and kind. MM's retirement from SJ was a sad one for me.

[@AnimalLeftist]

Untouchable, a TB, with Kathy Kusner. Sigh, yes, those were the days:) Darn it, still can't remember the other chestnut's name, he did well with that horse too. OH, and what about Good Twist! He was full TB, and so was Gem Twist, wasn't he? Thanks for the memories;) So many were TB's!

[@mractvivity]

Excelent collection, congratulation!!!!

[@mariandl177]

Jet Run, not Warwick Rex of course. Warwick was Alwin Schockemöhle his horse.

[@MarkRobertCuthbert]

@AnimalLeftist - What breeding had Chef? I remember seeing a video in 1986 titled The Horse in Sport and Michael Matz schooled Chef at home over little 2 foot fences in one of their exercises.

[@eliaatempa8016]

I was born in 1990

[@eliaatempa8016]

That was my dads boss for 17 years

[@TrevorSantaLucia]

Should be new Chef d'Equipe for the US.

[@MarkRobertCuthbert]

Sure I'm not thinking right! American show jumpers mostly rode full Thoroughbred ex-race horses (flat racers not jumper racers) up unto 1986 in International competition. Then the European Sport Horse came in, in full. Remember U.S.A.'s 1984 individual Olympic Gold (and Team) in L.A. was a "Full" Thoroughbred "Touch Of Class" (a mare ridden by Joe Fargis) and the the 1968 Olympic Gold winner was a USA bred "Full" Thoroughbred ex-race "Snowbound" (gelding ridden by William Steinkraus).

[@annie920]

Sainglain, My guess, since Michael Matz rode F. Eugene Dixon's horses and they were always Thoroughbreds, is that Chef was a Thoroughbred. I think he looks like he has European blood in him, though.

[@MarkRobertCuthbert]

@annie920 - do you know what breeding Chef had? Thoroughbred?

[@mavallarino]

he's too busy making money in TB race.