Fernando Filipponi

Italy’s Fernando Filipponi was a cavalry rider and lieutenant. Of Neapolitan origin, he obtained most of his success with Nasello, a powerful gray horse of Maremma origin that had been used only for regimental services as a draught horse for provisioning. One day, breaking its halter and galloping in the Roma Pastrengo barracks Nasello jumped a large watering trough. Filipponi watched this and bought the horse from the State and they went on to win many events together. These included the Piazza di Siena in Roma where he twice won the Individual Grand Prix (1935, 1939) and the Coppa Mussolini with the Italian team in 1934 and 1939.

During his 11-year career, 1929-39, during which the Germans nicknamed him “the king of the six barriers”, Nasello was only mounted by Filipponi. They also achieved victories in London, Aachen, Paris, Berlin, and Nice and competed at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Nasello was the only horse in Italian equestrian history to compete in 21 Nations Cups.