Geir Gulliksen has announced the passing away of his loyal partner, L'Espoir (Landwind II x Feinschnitt I). In 2006 Norway's Gulliksen took over the reigns of the Zangersheide-gelding, from Germany's Ludger Beerbaum.
With Beerbaum in the saddle, the son of Landwind II won a team bronze medal at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen.
Individually, the pair finished fifth. With Gulliksen in the saddle, the gelding competed twice at a European Championship. In 2007, the pair represented the Norwegian flag in Mannheim. In 2011, they competed in Madrid.
A year earlier, the combination was present at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky. In 2014, after a successful career, the gelding retired from competitive sport.