Trip of a Lifetime for Gangster and Dee
Thursday, 13 February 2025
Trip of a Lifetime’ for Gangster and Dee
Luke Dee is relishing in the opportunity to compete against the very best in the world at the Longines FEI World Cup Final in Switzerland.
When FEI World Cup New Zealand League Series winner Julie Davey turned down the golden ticket, Luke grabbed the opportunity with both hands. “It is very exciting,” said the 31-year-old real estate agent from Hawke’s Bay, “but it’s very daunting at the same time. I am well aware of the step up it will be there. This isn’t an opportunity that comes along every day and I plan to make the most of it.”
However, one of the toughest parts for Luke about heading off on the trip of a lifetime is missing his three-year-old daughter Freya.
Gangster WW, who he jointly owns with Fiona Hall, will fly out next week, with Luke following shortly after. The horse will fly to Amsterdam and then head to Holger Hetzel’s base in northern Germany. The Kiwi combo have a show in Denmark the same weekend as the Defender Horse of the Year Show in New Zealand, and Luke is currently trying to get into the 5* in Paris a few weeks later. “It is a bit of a longshot but I have my fingers crossed,” he says.
The horse is on a one-way ticket with Luke staying in Europe until after the April final before coming home for a month and then returning to the Northern Hemisphere to compete again.
German-bred Gangster is an Oldenburger Springpferd by Grand Slam VDL out of Korsika who is by Kannan. He started his international career in 2022 with Samantha McIntosh who was riding at Cian O’Connor’s barn then. Luke and Fiona bought the horse through Cian who will play an integral part in their European campaign.
Luke and Gangster had their first international start together in a CSI1* at Taupo in late 2023 notching a top seven finish. In September last year they crossed the Tasman to have their first World Cup start at Willinga Park for a top 10. Their four New Zealand World Cup efforts have resulted in a win at Taupo in November, a second in the series final at Waitemata, and a third and fourth in the earlier rounds.
“Gangster has improved in leaps and bounds this year. I think it is a maturity and age thing. He wasn’t easy when I tried him but had all the right qualities we were looking for and was certainly the type we wanted to buy. We knew it would take time so didn’t rush him in the first two seasons,” says Luke.
This is their third season together. “I think going to Australia was a real good thing for him. It allowed us to get into the season a lot earlier and it came with all that travel and experience. He really came into his own there.”
Luke says the plan was always to head to Europe after HOY and base there until the 2026 World Championships but he and Fiona didn’t need too long to decide to go early when the opportunity arose to head to the final, which is an indoor event. The horse won New Zealand’s only indoor World Cup qualifier and Luke says it seems to suit his temperament. “He stays a little calmer and there’s a bit more for him to concentrate on without such a big open space where he can get strong and rushed.”
It’s been challenging to organise everything in such a tight timeframe but they are ready and amped.
“If I wasn’t confident in Gangster’s ability we wouldn’t be going. Ideally it would be good to have another year under our belts but that’s not happening now. We have a lot of confidence in each other. I believe he is careful and scopey enough to do well. He may lack a little experience at that level but I think he will handle it fine.”
The horse is “quirky and a handful”, and Luke’s biggest challenge is keeping him calm when he jumps. “Sometimes you can’t so you have to manage it as best you can without him getting frazzled but he is so brave and confident it makes it worth putting up with it.”
He believes Gangster is definitely the best horse he has ever sat on. “He is still young and I think he has plenty more in him. I may be biased but I think he is pretty incredible doing what he is doing now. We are very excited about his future and I am fortunate I am the one who gets to ride him.”
Luke has previously competed in Europe and the United States where he rode in a New Zealand Nations Cup team.
Gangster’s co-owner Fiona Hall can barely contain her excitement. “Just talking about it makes me shiver,” she says. “This is what dreams are made of. For me it is all about the team we have, the fun that comes with it and the journey we have been on . . . that just keeps going on. Who knows which way the page will turn.”
She said it was an honour to be representing New Zealand at the final. “I am so fortunate to have Luke, Amelia (Clark) and Gangster on my team and so grateful – I couldn’t do it without them. It warms my heart watching them.”
Fiona said she knows they’ll be “a tiny tadpole in a big pond” in Europe. “It’s quite scary but we take one step at a time,” she said.
The next goal on the Mana Stables team’s list is the World Champs in Aachen next year, followed by the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The World Cup Final is being held in Basel, Switzerland, in early April. Up to 50 combinations from across the globe will be challenged by course designer Gérard Lachat (SUI).
Phillip Steiner was New Zealand’s last representative at a World Cup Final. He and Cassina Dior competed in 2023 in Omaha, Nebraska, making it through to the final 30.
WHAT: Longines FEI World Cup Final WHERE: Basel, Switzerland WHEN: April 1-6, 2025 MORE INFO: https://www.basel2025.com
