Hugo by name, huge by nature: meet the world’s new tallest horse in GWR 2027
Giddy up, record fans! As we celebrate the release of the latest GWR book, we’re delighted to reveal that there’s both a new tallest horse and shortest horse in town.
Hugo alongside owner Brett Masters
When assessed from hoof to withers (shoulder blades) on 2 December 2025, the then-four-year-old shire horse Hugo registered a height of 199 cm (6 ft 6 in; 19.2 hands).
(Hands are a traditional measurement that have been used to express a horse’s stature for centuries; one hand is exactly four inches, with 0.1 of a hand equating to one inch.)
Hugo is believed to weigh in at around 890 kg (1,960 lb), which is about the same as two grand pianos!
Hugo with Lisa Masters and his GWR certificate
From the age of 18 months, Hugo has lived on a farm with Brett and Lisa Masters in Towcester, Northamptonshire, UK. Despite his mighty proportions, Lisa revealed to GWR last year that Hugo “is a big softy, like an oversized dog”. Apparently, he is quite partial to bananas too!
He is something of a local icon, making appearances from time to time at community festivals and country shows where the crowds have been able to marvel at his size as he has grown up – in both senses of the term!
When asked whether there were any indications when they first got Hugo that hinted to his future superlative stature, Lisa said: “His parents were not an unusual height. I think his mum was around 17 hands and dad around 18–19 hands. So we weren’t expecting him to get so big.”
Equestrian Lisa isn’t fazed by Hugo’s height when riding him, as she explained: “It’s the same as any other horse once up there, but it is very high. Once on board, my head is around three metres from the ground!
“Getting on and off is the tricky part as I’m not very tall myself. We use a decorating stool called a ‘hop-up’. We also use it when plaiting him for shows.”
Big Jake from Wisconsin, USA, was the former tallest living horse; he passed away in 2021
It should be noted that this record is specifically for a living horse. The former tallest horse was even loftier than Hugo. Big Jake – a Belgian draft horse – stood 210.19 cm (6 ft 10 in; 20.3 hands) as verified at Smokey Hollow Farms in Poynette, Wisconsin, USA, on 19 January 2010.
And if talking all time, there are reports of a four-year-old shire gelding named Sampson (later renamed Mammoth) from Bedfordshire, UK, who stood a mighty 2.19 m (7 ft 2.5 in; 21.2 hands) in 1850. That would make Sampson the tallest horse ever. He was said to have weighed 1,524 kg (3,359 lb), which is greater than three polar bears!
By sheer coincidence, just a few months before Hugo was assessed, GWR had approved a new holder for his counterpart title: the shortest horse. Pumuckel from Germany stands a diminutive 52.6 cm (21.1 in; 5.1 hands) to the withers – making him virtually a quarter the size of Hugo – as confirmed on 16 August 2025.
The world's shortest horse, Pumuckel, with his owner, Carola Weidemann
Like Hugo, the pint-sized pony, who is owned by Carola Weidemann, is something of a local hero in his community of Breckerfeld in North Rhine-Westphalia.
As a therapy animal, he and Carola regularly visit the elderly or those recuperating in hospitals and hospices, helping to reduce stress and loneliness during difficult times.
Back in the UK, incredibly Lisa thinks that Hugo might not even be finished growing yet... “[He] will continue to grow and change up until he is at least seven or eight years old,” she predicts.
So while this extraordinary equine might already have secured his status as the world’s tallest horse, this may not be the last time we’ll be hearing from Hugo…
Read more stories about amazing animals on our dedicated Animals news page.