Marc-Peter Spahn's Elias 494 Retired from Sport

Dressage

Belgium

Marc-Peter Spahn has retired his Friesian Grand Prix stallion Elias 494 from competition sport. He announced this after winning the 2023 Dutch Friesian Dressage Championships in Ermelo, on 23 September 2023.

Elias 494 is a 14-year old Dutch bred Friesian by Jorn 430 out of Maaike Brechtsje D (by Maiko 373). He is bred by Demro Stables. He was originally named Djorn van de Demro Stables.

International Grand Prix Career

Owned by the Swedish couple Linda Annell and Kristofer Johannsson, Elias 494 was brought to Grand Prix level by Dutch based Belgian Marc-Peter Spahn.

Elias made his international Grand Prix debut in 2019 and competed at the CDI's in Hagen, Hamburg, Falsterbo and Ermelo. That year he also won the 2019 European Championship for Friesian Dressage Horses and earned the title of Friesian Horse of the Year 2019. He was honoured with this title at the 2019 Friesian Stallion Licensing in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, on 9 - 11 January 2020. The HOY title is allocated by public vote and expert panel.

In 2020 he competed in Gothenburg and Herning, while in 2021 the pair competed in Herning, Doha, and Herzlake. Their last international season was in 2022 with starts in herning, Hagen, Samorin, Leeuwarden and London. They did not compete internationally in 2023.

Retirement

Spahn and Elias at the 2022 CDI-W London

After winning the 2023 Friesian Dressage Championships in Ermelo, Spahn announced the retirement of his stallion.

"After six years at the highest level of dressage it is now time to take a step back," Spahn told Phryso.com. "Today it looked like a good day for a final champion's lap of honour."

Elias 494, who was licensed through a shortened testing in 2016, can now continue to stand at stud. In May 2023 the Friesian studbook announced that Elias has not yet met the requirement of at least 40 licensed offspring, but he has already shown a sufficient inheritance record with his offspring at the ABFP tests. Elias 494 is given a breeding limit of 180 covers.