- Gem Twist
Sport Horse infobox
horsename= Gem Twist
caption=
breed=Thoroughbred
sire= Good Twist
grandsire=
dam= Coldly Noble
damsire= Noble Jay
sex=Gelding
foaled= 1979
country= USA
colour= Gray
breeder= Frank Chapot
owner= Michael Golden
trainer= Frank Chapot
record=
earnings=
wins=
awards=
honours=
updated=Gem Twist (1979 -
November 18 ,2006 ) was a world champion American Thoroughbredshow jumping horse registered under the name Icey Twist. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9800E1DA1431F93BA15753C1A961958260 "Gem Twist, U.S. Star, To Take His Final Bows"] . Finn, Robin. "The New York Times". 10/28/97. Referenced January 2, 2008.] Bred by equestrian Frank Chapot, [http://www.equisearch.com/equiwire_news/gemtwistdies_112006/ "Show Jumping Legend Gem Twist Dies"] . "Equisearch". Referenced January 2, 2008.] Gem Twist had an incredible career at the Grand Prix level. The gelding is the only horse to have won the "American Grand Prix Association Horse of the Year" title three times, [http://www.chadofarm.net/Gemtwist/NewMainPage.asp "The Legend of Gem Twist"] . "Chado Farms". Referenced January 2, 2008.] and is regarded as one of the best show-jumpers in history. [ [http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-news/Gem-Twist.aspx "Glorious Gem Twist Euthanized"] . Hale, Cindy. "Horse Channel". 12/4/06. Referenced January 2, 2008.]Career
Gem Twist had an extensive show jumping career between 1985 and 1997 under three different international level riders:
Greg Best (up to 1992), Leslie Howard (1992-1995), andLaura Chapot (1995 onward).With Greg Best
Gem Twist began winning early in his career with rider Greg Best, including the 1985
USET Talent Derby as a six-year-old. He went on to win his first two competitions at the Grand Prix level, the Grand Prix of Tampa and the Grand Prix of Florida, in 1987. He finished the year with his firstAmerican Grand Prix Association (AGA) Horse of the Year honor, as well as a team silver medal from the Pan American Games. Best continued to ride Gem Twist for several years with great success, including earning two silver medals at the 1988 Olympics inSeoul . In 1989, Gem Twist was named the American Grand Prix Association Horse of the Year for the second time. In 1990, he was named the "World's Best Horse" at theWorld Equestrian Games in Stockholm. However, Best injured his shoulder in 1992, and the ride was turned over to Leslie Burr Howard (then Leslie Burr Lenehan).With Leslie Howard
Howard continued the gelding's career, winning both another AGA Horse of the Year title and the AGA Championship in 1993. The team qualified for the 1994 World Equestrian Games, but an infection at the Games disqualified Gem Twist from the championship round and put him out of competition for almost a year.
With Laura Chapot
In 1995, after a lengthy recuperation period, Gem Twist came back into the show ring with Laura Chapot. Although Chapot was still a Young Rider (21 and under), her first year with Gem Twist was very successful. She won the World Cup class at the $100,000 Autumn Classic, earning her the Budweiser Rookie of the Year award, and rode the horse to his third win at the Budweiser AGA Championships. Her second season continued to be successful, with wins at three World Cup qualifying classes, including Tampa's Volvo Grand Prix of Florida-- whose starting field of over 80 horses made it the largest grand prix jumper class of all time! She finished Gem's career with a win at the World Cup USA East League Championship (which was held at the same venue at which he won his first Grand Prix with Best nine years earlier). Chabot formally retired Gem Twist at the National Horse Show at
Madison Square Garden on November 1, 1997. During his career, Gem Twist accumulated more than $800,000 in prize money. In 2002, Gem Twist was inducted into theUnited States Show Jumping Hall of Fame . [http://www.showjumpinghalloffame.net/ "Gem Twist"] . "American Show Jumping Hall of Fame". Referenced January 2, 2008.] He was euthanized November 18, 2006 at the age of 27.Clone of Gem Twist
In early 2006, Practical Horseman magazine first leaked a report that Gem Twist was to be the subject of a cloning experiment by a then-undisclosed international laboratory.
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