HOY Nominee: Statis Conti

Longines EEF Series Newsroom

“He knows when it is a really important class and he gives everything.”

A very worthy nominee for the Longines EEF Series Horse of the Year award is Statis Conti, the ride of Slovakian team member Bronislav Chudyba. The 10-year-old bay stallion has been incredibly consistent across the EEF Series Nations Cup Competitions in 2024, with exceptional performances in Mannheim and Bratislava. The Slovakian team went on to qualify for the 2024 Longines EEF Series Nations Cup final in Warsaw this September after a solid performance at the South and Central region semi-final in Budapest.

Statis Conti is by Stakkato and owned by Staj Mustang SRO. He showed great class and courage at this year’s quarter-final in Bratislava, jumping clear in both rounds and in the subsequent jump-off to help the Slovakian team record a brilliant second-place finish. Statis Conti is a careful and athletic horse, and he enjoys a great relationship with Bronislav and his groom, Michaela Pavlikova.

When Bronislav first began riding Statis Conti, he wasn’t sure about their future together; “I didn’t particularly like riding him at first, but I worked hard, and the connection between us became very good. I took a lot of time to build him up, jumping classes at different heights and letting him develop. By the end of last year, he was showing that he could do a lot of very good things. This year, he is my number one horse, and he is getting better and better.”

Statis Conti is also the number one horse at home. “He is a true stallion,” says Bronislav. He is the boss of our yard. Everyone needs to hear that he is there when he comes out of his stable! But when you work with him, he is very sweet. He particularly loves to go out hacking. My groom, Michaela, and I think he tries so hard in the big competitions because he knows that we really like him.”

This year’s Longines EEF Series Nations Cup class in Bratislava is a standout memory for Bronislav. “What he did there, jumping clear in both rounds and then in the jump-off….he gave me the feeling that I can do anything with him, and he will always fight for me.” Bronislav will ride Statis Conti at the Longines EEF Series Nations Cup Final in Warsaw this September, and he also hopes to aim for the European Championships at La Coruna in 2025.

Michaela comments, “Statis Conti is a horse with a big heart. My favourite memory with him is the Longines EEF Series Nations Cup in Mannheim, where both of his clean rounds brought me to tears! And, of course, I will not forget the Nations Cup in Bratislava, where he was simply amazing. He likes to cuddle before he jumps and knows precisely when the competition is important. I’m very proud of him. Last year, he jumped small jumps, and now he has climbed so high. I hope this is just the beginning.”