Shutterfly (January 14, 1993[1] — January 28, 2023[2]) was a Hanoverian gelding ridden in competition by Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum. Considered the "ultimate jumping horse",[3] Shutterfly won medals at several World and European Championships, placing first in the World Cup final three times.[4] With lifetime winnings of €3,520,864, he was the most successful show jumper of the 2000s and one of the highest earning show jumpers of all time.[5]
Background
Shutterfly, originally named Struwwelpeter, was foaled on January 14, 1993[6] at the farm of Uwe Dresmann. He was trained by Carsten Raschen as a five and six year old, where he qualified for the National Championships.[7][8]
Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum discovered the horse when he was six years old, after finding him in a competition for young show jumping horses. Michaels-Beerbam eventually encouraged Uwe Dresmann to sell him, and he was purchased by Nancy Clark.[7] After he was sold, his name was changed to Shutterfly. His barn name was Petey.[8]
As a young horse, Shutterfly was challenging to ride. He was described as "spooky" and "frightened of everything".[8] At seven years old, Michaels-Beerbaum entered Shutterfly in the finals of CHIO Aachen, which ended disastrously after Michaels-Beerbaum fell off. It would take Michaels-Beerbaum a year to regain the horse's trust.[9][10] By 1999, Michaels-Beerbaum credited Shutterfly with helping her top the FEI World Show Jumping rankings.[9]
As Shutterfly developed into a champion show jumper, he remained insecure and nervous in the show ring. Michaels-Beerbaum noted his bashfulness, compared to other show jumpers. His insecurity left him sheltering behind his groom as he entered the arena,[11] who would use music to soothe him.[12]
After placing second at the 2004 World Cup final in Milan, Shutterfly tested positive for the banned substance acepromazine. As a result, Michaels-Beerbaum was not selected for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.[13][14] The decision was controversial at the time.[15] The positive ruling was overturned months later and Shutterfly returned to competition in 2005.[8] Two weeks after the decision was overturned, Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly won the 2005 World Cup Finals in Los Vegas.[16][17]
At the 2006 World Equestrian Games, Shutterfly was rattled during the final four horse rotation phase, reacting "extremely nervous and upset".[18] When changing riders, Shutterfly began rearing in the practice area. The horse's reaction caused some commentators to question the necessity of the horse rotation round.[19] Michaels-Beerbaum would not bring Shutterfly back to the World Equestrian Games, and the horse change was eventually eliminated from the format.[20]
In 2007, Shutterfly tested positive in a doping test at the European Championships in Mannheim for the use of Triamcinolone, a corticosteroid.[21] The medication use was disclosed to stewards before the event and was allowed to start.[22]
In 2008, the pair were selected for the Summer Olympics in Beijing, and were expected to be medal finalists going into the competition.[23] The combination eventually placed fourth in the individual competition.[6] The next year, Michaels-Beerbaum and Shutterfly won every round of their competition at the 2009 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, winning the gold medal.[24] It was the third World Cup Finals the pair would win together.[25]
In 2011, at the age of 18 Shutterfly won the Warsteiner Prize at CHIO Aachen.[26][10] After the win, Michaels-Beerbaum's husband Marcus Beerbaum encouraged her to retire Shutterfly, to end his career on a high note.[9] A few days later, Shutterfly was retired in a ceremony at CHIO Aachen.[27][28]
After retiring from competition, Shutterfly went to live at the Beerbaums’ German base in Thedinghausen, Germany.[8]
On 28 January 2023 Shutterfly died at the age of 30.[29][30]
