Massages? Pampering? I’m definitely with Ilian’s groom on this one—

It's good to be Ilian. The 1,100-pound, 16-year-old Grand Prix jumper has an acupuncturist, a massage therapist, a chiropractor and a groom to attend to his every need. A million-dollar athlete at the top of his game, Ilian's day consists of petting, brushing, riding, jumping, pampering, feeding and resting - anything to give him an edge. He has custom-fit shoes, specialized doctors and therapists, carefully selected supplements and food.

"This is a super athlete," his owner and rider Schuyler Riley said. "There's high school basketball players and there's the NBA. And he's the NBA." Ilian even gets a beer at the end of a hard day's work: a bottle of Guinness Extra Stout poured into his dinner. "I hope in my next life I come back as a horse, as a pampered show horse," said Dee Bickley, Ilian's groom.

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