Gem Twist

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Equestrian
Olympic medal record
Silver	1988 Seoul	Individual jumping
Silver	1988 Seoul	Team jumping

Gem Twist (1979-Nov. 18, 2006) was a world champion show jumping horse.

Color: Gray
Markings: None
Sex: Gelding
Height: n/a
Breed: American Thoroughbred
Breeding: Good Twist x Coldly Noble (thoroughbred)
Breeder: Frank Chapot
Riders: Greg Best (up to 1992), Leslie Howard (1992-1995), and Laura Chapot (1995 onward)
Owner: Michael Golden

Bred by the famous equestrian Frank Chapot, Gem Twist (AKA "M&C Gem Twist") had an incredible career with 9 years of winning at the Grand Prix level. The gelding won the "American Grandprix Association Horse of the Year" title a record three times, and vies with legendary horses Milton and Big Ben for the title of "history's greatest showjumper."

Gem Twist began winning early in his career with rider Greg Best, including the 1985 USET Talent Derby as a six-year-old. He went on to win his first two competitions at the Grand Prix level, the Grand Prix of Tampa and the Grand Prix of Florida, in 1987. He finished the year with his first American Grand Prix Association (AGA) Horse of the Year honor, as well as a silver medal from the Pan American Games.

Best continued to ride Gem Twist for several years with great success, including earning two silver medals at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. However, Best injured his shoulder in 1992, and the ride was turned over to Leslie Burr Howard (then Leslie Burr Lenehan).

Howard continued the gelding's career, winning both an AGA Horse of the Year title and the AGA Championship, before he was given to Laura Chapot to ride.

Although Chapot was still a Young Rider (21 and under), her first year with Gem Twist was very successful. She won the World Cup class at the $100,000 Autumn Classic, earning her the Budweiser Rookie of the Year award, and rode the horse to his third win at the Budweiser AGA Championships. Her second season continued to be successful, with wins at three World Cup qualifying classes, including one with a starting field of over 80 horses. She finished Gem's career with a win at the World Cup USA East League Championship (which was held at the same venue at which he won his first Grand Prix with Best nine years earlier).

Gem Twist formally retired at the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden on November 1, 1997. He accumulated more than $800,000 in prize money.

The June 2006 issue of 'Practical Horseman' stated that discussions were underway to clone Gem Twist for the sake of generating a stallion capable of passing on the horse's genetic material. According to Frank Chapot, the article wrote, a firm decision on whether or not to clone the showjumper had yet to be reached.^{[citation needed]}

Gem Twist died November 18, 2006.