CARL Hanley has announced the retirement of the Irish Sport Horse Lapuccino 2. Announcing his retirement, he described the five-star 1.60m show jumper as “a special horse”, who will live out the rest of his life at CHS headquarters in Osnabrück, Germany.

Lapuccino 2 has a special connection to Carl and his wife Nadja (Kapp Hanley), as he was bred by Nadja’s father, Sven Kapp, out of the mare Caberet III, who Nadja rode internationally. He is by the great stallion Livello, who was ridden to success at the top level of the sport by Carl’s brother, Cameron Hanley. Nadja was present when the grey was foaled in 2008.

Lapuccino did his first ever show as a five-year-old with Carl in the saddle and went on to be produced by Alex Duffy, Eoin McMahon and eventually finishing out his career at the very top level with Michael G Duffy. The pair jumped on multiple senior Nations Cup teams - including a win in Drammen - and among their highlights was a four-star Grand Prix win in Vejer de la Frontera, as well as a podium finish in the five-star LGCT Grand Prix of Hamburg.