Darry Lou Z had quite a career with quite a cast of riders. The stallion, the U.S. Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year in 2019, was best known for his exploits with Beezie Madden as a member of the U.S. team. His crowning achievement was as the winner of the $3 million CN International Rolex Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows.
Beezie Madden and Darry Lou in their heyday. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
When he was bought by Evergate Farm, Darry Lou went on to win with Jennifer Gates’ husband, Nayel Nassar. Finally, the Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders also was successful with the plucky chestnut. Now Studfarm Zangersheide has announced that he will be on their stallion roster for 2025, standing for a fee of €1,400.
Bred in the Netherlands by Roelof Bril, who rode Freelady, Darry Lou’s granddam, Darry Lou is by Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve, out of the Grand Prix mare Venus. He has a full sister, Beat Me, who jumped at the 1.55 meter level with Chad Fellows. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find that Beat Me is the dam of F One USA, whose riders included Emily Moffitt, Ben Maher and Lorenzo de Luca.
Nayel noted, “It was a great joy and honor to campaign Darry Lou, despite our relatively short partnership. He has a remarkable personality, filled with a calm confidence and unwavering demeanor regardless of the task at hand. His unique mindset coupled with his athletic ability allowed him to truly thrive as a sport horse on some of the world’s biggest stages. I am very much looking forward to seeing him flourish in this next chapter of his career, and have no doubt he will continue to make us proud by passing on his exceptional genes to future generations.”n 2022, Darry Lou moved back to Europe to join Harrie Smolders’ stable, where he continued his impressive performances, including top ten finishes in Aachen and again in the 5* Grand Prix of Spruce Meadows.
For his part, Harrie observed, “It has been a privilege to be one of Darry Lou’s riders. To have him around and work with him every day was always a pleasure; his kindness but also his ability to listen to what the rider was trying to explain made him very unique and one of a kind. He will be missed by his fans all around the world for his empathy and particularly by our team as we felt a close bond and friendship with him.
“I will definitely remember his exuberance when we were out hacking — nothing could make him more happy, but he always behaved like a true gentleman. Now it’s time for him to fully focus on his next chapter and save all those exceptional qualities for the upcoming generations. Best of luck Darry, and thank you for all those beautiful memories.”
Judy Ann Melchior of Studfarm Zangersheide noted, “I have admired Darry Lou for a long time and I am thrilled to feature this iconic stallion in our stallion line-up! Not only is he a showjumping superstar, but also a golden opportunity for breeders, boasting exceptional valuable qualities and genetics.”