Otello de Guldenboom

At first glance, one might think of Otello de Guldenboom and his sire, Tobago Z, as two completely different types. Otello is bay and distinctly rectangular in build—his sire was a smaller chestnut with a few markings. In terms of competition, however, father and son have more in common than one might expect: Tobago Z placed fourth in the 2019 World Cup Final, and his son placed second seven years later.

The stallion was bred by Hugo Versnick in Reesegem, Belgium. His dam, Caretina, a Holsteiner mare from line 628B—a three-digit line number, always an indication of a long breeding tradition—is descended from Caretino-Cor de la Bryère and has siblings and offspring that have been successful at the S-level.

Careers at Stephex

The early career of the Belgian stallion, whose dam was a Holsteiner, began under the Italian flag: Gianluca Genussa rode him at first, and once he reached the 1.30-meter level, Andrea Calabro—who owned the stallion—took over. In 2023, Otello advanced to the 1.50-meter level—and Calabro offered him to Stephex Stables. During a trial ride, with Kendra Claricia Brinkop in the saddle, the verdict was quick: tremendous jumping ability, but not yet fully mature physically and with a tendency to be a bit slow in his pace. The deal was sealed. Otello made his first competition appearances under Stephan’s daughter, Emily Conter, before being deemed too large and physically imposing for her and moving on to Daniel Deußer.

What followed was systematic fine-tuning: building momentum without letting the forward drive turn into a rush; refining the gallop; harnessing the horse’s natural caution on the course rather than riding it away. Otello gained experience at the two- and three-star levels. He took the decisive step forward on a tour of Mexico at the end of his tenth year, where he competed in his first Grand Prix at the 1.60-meter level as a replacement for the first horse, who had withdrawn. From there, things took off rapidly: the World Cup season, then second place in the 2026 Finals—and finally the 2026 World Championships in Aachen as Daniel Deusser’s World Championship horse.

Like father, like son

’s defining trait: He is an unemotional horse. In the warm-up ring, he appears calm, almost detached—a trait that initially puzzled Deußer until he recognized the parallel with Tobago Z. Neither horse—father nor son—is one to put on a show in the warm-up arena. On the course, however, they deliver. His jumping technique has a signature style: his toes occasionally point slightly lower than his leg at takeoff—not a warning sign, but simply his personal style. They jump in all shapes.

You can find the detailed history of *Otello*, along with Daniel Deußer’s analysis, here.