September 4, 2025 
As far as horses are concerned, it’s hard to impress McLain Ward. The five-time Olympic medalist has claimed nearly every title in the books, and he’s done so on the backs of some of the most legendary talents in the sport.
With names like Sapphire, Rothchild, and HH Azur on his resume, Ward hasn’t exactly been suffering for talent. And what chinks there are in his equine athletes’ armor, the American rider—currently no. 7 in the world—is more than capable of improving.
Yet the always eloquent but not exactly loquacious Ward tends to cut to the chase when talking about his horses. Even the super-mounts on the shortlist above. Which is why his repeated comments about new mount, Imperial HBF, have been drawing a bit of attention.
The former ride of Great Britain’s Tim Gredley joined Ward’s string in April, and quickly began proving he’s just what the doctor ordered. For proof, we’ve combed the internet for (almost) everything Ward has said about Imperial HBF, and the reviews are in.
Not only are they in, coming from Ward, they’re positively glowing.
The pair had their first 1.60m outing in the Eternal City, where they jumped double-clear, helping Team USA to the win in the CSIO5* Nations Cup of Rome. They made the podium in a 1.55m class that same week, and did so again in the CSIO5* Rolex Grand Prix Ville De La Baule the following month.
“This one’s a joy,” Ward said of Imperial after that standout round in France. His chef d’équipe Robert Ridland quickly seconded the notion.
“[McLain] is smiling every time he comes out of the ring on him,” Ridland said.
As it happened, Imperial would make the chef d’équipe, himself, grin when he jumped 4/0 with Ward as the anchor combination in the CSIO5* Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup at CHIO Aachen, giving the U.S. yet another Nations Cup win.
Ward and Imperial earned two more, top 10 5* finishes this summer at the LGCT Grand Prix of Paris and the Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland. It’s a consistency that’s reflected in their Jumpr Stats where, in 11 rounds at 1.60m+, the pair jump clear at 55%, finishing in the top 10 a whopping 78% of the time.
Ward had more to say about Imperial last week during the Hampton Classic, when he won the 5* Grand Prix Qualifier on Friday with High Star Hero. Though delighted with the victory, Ward said that what he was really excited about was the Longines Hampton Classic Grand Prix that weekend.
Why you ask? We’ll give you one guess who he was riding.
“I’m looking forward to this weekend,” Ward said. “I’ll be riding Imperial HBF in the Grand Prix on Sunday. I think he’s possibly the best horse I’ve ever ridden.
“You need things to go your way in this sport, but we’ve set up well for it. It’s been a few years since I’ve won the Grand Prix, so I’m hoping for the best result.”
Alas, the results didn’t go quite Ward and Imperial’s way that Sunday. But it’s likely done nothing to diminish the American rider’s growing admiration for the 12-year-old KWPN gelding, bred by Laura Tinto of HBF Equestrian in Glasgow, Scotland. And he’s not alone.
The son of Jur Vrieling’s Glasgow VH Merelsnest joined Tim Gredley’s string in 2022 through the recommendation of Gredley’s friend, Scott Brash, and Scottish rider Alex Barr, who had produced Imperial since his 6-year-old year.
Despite his delight at the chance to see Imperial become a championship-caliber horse under Ward, selling the gelding, for Gredley, was “far from an easy decision.”
From the start, the British rider said, he’d never ridden a horse with so much “natural scope,” noting that, in their early seasons together in Wellington, Gredley would sometimes be forced to exit the ring on his own two feet after Imperial jumped so high, he popped his rider off. By the fall of last year, however, Gredley felt the gelding’s brain and confidence had developed enough to match his power and ability.
“I rode a couple of World Cups over the winter, over big tracks,” Gredley told the FEI in February, “and I can come to big combinations and oxers and not worry at all.”
Undoubtedly, it’s that same special feeling—now paired with a 12-year-old horse’s rideability and experience—that’s stirring those uncharacteristically effusive comments from McLain Ward.
And if Ward is this excited, that’s reason enough for all of us to grab the popcorn, pull up our livestreams, and stay tuned.
