Matthew Lord riding Remi Vigneron. Image by Amy Lord.
From his very first steps at Remi Stud to standing on the brink of Grand Prix, Remi Vigneron, known fondly as Vino, has been a true Australian success story.
With breeder Cheryl O’Brien’s decades of Hanoverian bloodlines behind him and rider Matthew Lord guiding him to international success, Vino represents more than a talented stallion. He is the embodiment of what Australian breeding and training can achieve – and now has his sights set firmly on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Remi Vigneron as a foal. Image by E. McLean Photography/Remi Stud.
A FOAL WITH PROMISE
Bred by Cheryl O’Brien of Remi Stud, Vino carries decades of carefully developed Hanoverian bloodlines. Cheryl has been breeding for over 30 years, and her knowledge is second to none. She combined Viscount, a renowned jumping sire, with her already successful mares to produce Vino.
“I like to add a bit of showjumping bloodlines into the breeding if I can. I think it really strengthens their back, and they usually have good canters,” explains Cheryl. “It also adds the versatility. During Vino’s stallion licencing he scored nine for his free jumping, so he’s got natural talent there. A few of his progeny are now starting to event with young riders with great success.”
On Vino’s dam side is elite mare (Hanoverian Premium Mare) Remi Love Story who carries the genetics of Lanthan and Mighty Kingdom xx. A full sibling, Remi Lethal Weapon (aka Underdiscussion) was trained by Chris Burton and went on to win the CICO3* (current CCIO4*S) Eventing Championship in Aachen. One thing was for sure with his breeding line, Vino was going to be special.
“He was always an outstanding foal,” Cheryl recalls. “At our Remi Stud open day, the German classifier gave him a Gold Foal Award, which is only handed to the very best in the country.”
Outstanding movement isn’t enough, however. “You never know your trainability when they’re a foal. You can look at the type and the movement and the personality, but it’s not until you actually get on them that you know how trainable they are. That’s why bloodline selection is very important.”
Once Matt started to break Vino in, it became clear that her had trainability in spades!
BUILDING A PARTNERSHIP
Matt first met Vino not as a polished young stallion, but as a horse yet to be backed. “I broke him in myself,” Matt explains. “We’ve really grown together. Every step has been a lesson for both of us. He’s been an overachiever the whole way through. It’s been more about making sure we take our time to get him strong enough because he just wants to do it all.”
Cheryl agrees: “Matt’s ridden him since he was broken, and they’ve formed an amazing partnership. Vino just wants to work – it’s always ‘what do you want me to do now?’ If he makes a mistake, it’s the end of the world for him. Once he’s got something, though, he never forgets.”
To be a competition horse and a breeding stallion is often overwhelming for a lot of horses, but Vino does both with no fuss.
Matt and Vino in the Small Tour at the 2024 Brisbane CDI. Image by Derek O’Leary.
“When it’s time for breeding duty, I go get on him bareback and ride him down from his paddock in just a headstall past all the mares. We will then collect, and I’ll take him back to the tie ups and give him a light ride after. He’s definitely macho, but he knows what’s expected of him, and he’s exceptional in that he knows how to separate the two jobs he’s got.”
The partnership between Matt and Vino is truly evident in every step of their journey. “He loves people, loves his job, and just has this zest for life,” notes Cheryl.
THE MEDIUM TOUR BRIDGE
After much success at Small Tour level, this year Matt and Vino have been competing at Medium Tour – a relatively new level in dressage that has only been in the sport for around 11 years. It’s designed as a bridge between Small Tour and the Big Tour (Grand Prix), introducing the most advanced elements for the first time while still offering leeway.
“The Medium Tour is where you first see piaffe, passage and one-time changes,” Matt explains. “But they’re done with less intensity than Grand Prix – the one-time changes are fewer in number, the piaffe can cover up to two metres with fewer steps, and there’s more space to flow into passage and once again, less of it. It’s such an important stepping stone.”
Matt and Vino at Dressage by the Sea earlier this year. Image by Amy-Sue Alston.
For Vino, it has been the perfect testing ground. A chance to start to introduce the highest level of training under the eyes of judges without the pressure for absolute perfection. As with everything, Vino has risen to the challenge. Winning the Medium Tour Championship at Willinga Park’s Dressage by the Sea, and The Saddlefitter Brisbane CDI, with scores averaging 68%+, it is certainly an exciting combination for the future.
This is only the second horse Matt has taken through to the top levels of dressage, the previous being Immenhof Scout, an imported stallion by Sunny Boy who Matt also started and took all the way through. Matt credits Vino’s nature and talent, and is quick to remain humble about his own abilities as a rider. For his second horse to reach this level – and to have never placed lower than fifth in a CDI – is a massive feat! The pair have had scores up to 73% in a CDI* Intermediate I Freestyle for first place, and most recently 72.050% in the CDN Intermediate A/B Freestyle at The Saddlefitter Brisbane CDI following a clean sweep of wins in the Intermediate A and B tests. It’s a credit to both of them for their hard work and talent.
Cheryl, Matt and Vino at Dressage by the Sea. Image supplied by Remi Stud.
EYES ON LOS ANGELES
For Matt, the path forward is clear: the pair are aiming for Grand Prix and ultimately the Los Angeles Olympics. “He feels ready for that next step,” Matt says. “Medium Tour has given him confidence, and now it’s about refining the details and building strength for Grand Prix.”
Keeping Vino in Australia, however, is just as important as his competition career. Cheryl explains: “He’s important not just for competition but for what he’s producing. Most Australian riders are amateur riders, and we need horses with world-class movement and brains to match. We want to keep that here.”
Matt and Vino at the 2025 Brisbane CDI. Image by Derek O’Leary.
“We’re looking for just
one or two more people
who want to be part of
something special…”
Already his progeny are producing incredible results: Daisy Fielding and Remi Victoria’s Secret (Remi Vigneron x Lauries As) won the four-year-old class at PSI Dressage and Jumping with the Stars this year with a massive score of 80.600% in the final round. Last year, his son, Remi Vintage Star (Remi Vigneron x Wolkenstein II) was Champion Four-Year-Old Young Horse at the Sydney CDI with 85.6%, and Cheryl’ s other horse, Remi Bodacious, the Reserve Champion.
To achieve the goal of keeping Vino here, Matt and Cheryl are welcoming a small number of like-minded owners to join them on the journey. “We already have a few supporters on board,” Cheryl says. “We’re looking for just one or two more people who want to be part of something special – to support Matt, keep Vino in Australia, and be there ringside as he heads towards Los Angeles.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
For both rider and breeder, Vino represents more than just medals or scores. He’s a living testament to what Australian breeding and training achieve together. “There are plenty of imported horses on the circuit,” Matt says. “But to have one bred here, broken in here, and trained up through the levels – that’s what makes Vino’s journey so exciting.”
Matt has high hopes for the future with Vino as they head towards Big Tour level. Image by Derek O’Leary.
Cheryl agrees. “As a breeder, it’s about more than one horse. It’s about keeping these bloodlines alive, producing rideable, talented horses for Australian riders. Vino embodies that.”
As Matt and Vino prepare for the transition to Grand Prix, their story is both deeply personal and widely symbolic: a rider and a stallion who have walked every step together, carrying with them the hope of an Australian-bred star shining on the world stage. EQ
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