In 2013 Lori Larrabee purchased a four-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding as her next investment horse for her business LL Show Jumpers LLC. With the help of Devin Ryan, Larrabee imported the handsome grey horse that came to be known as Eddie Blue, or "Eddie".

"The deciding factor in purchasing Eddie was primarily my trust in Devin's instincts for the abilities of young horses. I had watched him for over seven years train and develop young jumpers. It was his special skill," shares Larrabee.

Eddie Blue's talent was evident as soon as he entered the show ring. His stellar scope and powerful height over fences make him a "must-watch" horse on the jumping circuit. "I have never felt the sheer power of a horse when he leaves the ground that matches Eddie Blue's. His consistency is unmatched," notes Ryan. The nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding recorded a triumphant 2018 with Ryan, starting with a second-place finish in the $265,000 Longines Grand Prix CSI5* at HITS Ocala in February. "Since day one Eddie has been a competition horse. As soon as he walks in the show ring his ears are forward and he performs. Even as a young horse he always knew where his feet were and where the poles were," added Ryan.

They went on to qualify for the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final in April, where they placed second overall, a major accomplishment for their first season of indoor events. Larrabee explained, "as a young nine-year-old, to see him end up second and be the only horse in the field of the best horse and rider combinations in the world go without a single rail knockdown was beyond belief! Standing alongside the ring in Paris, hearing the music and crowd cheering for the victory gallop was my proudest moment for Eddie Blue and Ryan. Truly a fairy tale ending!" The combination returned from Paris to place third in the $225,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon CSI4* in May, marking another of Larrabee's proud moments with the gelding.


Initially, Eddie was a grumpy and bossy horse outside of the show ring. Very full of himself, he certainly was not the barn favorite, but his proud personality translated well to the show ring. "He comes in and always gives off an air of confidence," says Larrabee. Today, Eddie is a much softer horse on the ground, affectionately seeking the human bond and some scratches in-between, it is clear that he loves his job and trusts Ryan.

"He has always been a very cheeky horse with a ton of character. We have such a relationship though that he always seems to be a little less cheeky with me. He keeps us on our toes anyway," says Ryan.

As the runner-up at the 2018 FEI World Cup Jumping Final, Eddie Blue and Ryan automatically landed a spot on the shortlist for the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018 NetJets U.S. Jumping Team. During the WEG team observation period, Eddie and Ryan were part of the bronze medal-winning U.S. team in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Poland at CSIO Sopot in June. As part of the U.S. team at CHIO Aachen, they jumped an impressive double-clear in the Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup. With only two years of FEI-level competition under his saddle, Eddie Blue found himself on his first FEI WEG NetJets U.S. Jumping Team, where he helped them win their first team gold medal since the 1986 World Championships. They ended a remarkable year by placing second in the $205,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Toronto 2018 for the Hickstead Trophy.

"This truly special horse is a once in a lifetime horse. He is an extraordinary athlete and remarkably never touched a rail until he was well into his seven-year-old jumping career," continued Larrabee. "His mental toughness is a key to his success, as many young horses are not emotionally mature enough to handle the technical aspects of the courses he has been asked to complete. He loves his job and he loves and trusts his rider who has been his teammate since he was four years old. He is a spectacular example of a true hall of fame story."