‘She’s made my dreams come true’: 19-year-old mare bows out after a career like no other
Two uncharacteristic spooks, a tearful tribute and the end of one of British para dressage’s most decorated careers – how a 19-year-old mare’s final competitive test unfolded in Aachen
Athene Lindebjerg’s grade I freestyle at the World Para Dressage Championship in Aachen was her last-ever competitive test – Mari Durward-Akhurst confirmed after a tougher-than-usual ride, scoring 67.85% for eighth place, that the 19-year-old mare is retiring.
Athene had two uncharacteristic spooks, in the corners between A and K and between M and C, before downing tools for a spell. Mari had said after the team test how hard it can be for her, with limited leg power, to get Athene going again once she slows – and she needed all of her experience to bring Athene back on track here.
Athene’s retirement brings the curtain down on one of British para dressage’s longest and most decorated careers. She won individual and team gold with Sophie Christiansen at both the 2015 Europeans in Deauville and the Rio Paralympics the following year, then a hat-trick of individual, freestyle and team golds with Julie Payne at the 2017 Europeans in Gothenburg.
After a break from competition that included having two foals, she returned to top-level sport under the care of South Bucks RDA volunteer Romilly Hart, who got her fit again at the request of co-owner Di Redfern.
Mari took on the ride in 2023 and went on to win individual freestyle bronze at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, two individual bronzes at last year’s Europeans in Ermelo and individual silver this week in Aachen, before this freestyle brought her competitive career to a close.
“She’s retiring now – the World Championships is her last competition, and we’d like to have gone out with a different sort of bang,” Mari said, with good humour at first. But as she began to talk about what the mare had meant to her, the emotion of the moment caught up with her.
“I think she’ll be remembered for life regardless. Honestly, everything she’s given me – she got me to my first Paralympics, my first individual medal... She’s just absolutely incredible, and I can’t thank her enough for it all. This has been amazing.
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“She’s made my dreams come true, and I don’t think I’d be the athlete I am now without her and everything she’s taught me. I think that test is a sign she wants to retire – so it’s the perfect time, really. She can go and live out in the field and have a wonderful retirement. She doesn’t owe Great Britain anymore.”
The decision had been made a while ago. “We always knew this would be our last competition together, so it’s been an emotional week. I really wanted her to go out on the high of a gold, but she’s been at the highest level for 10 years – and that’s after coming back having had foals, too. She’s just incredible.
“The sport’s changed so much from when Sophie and Julie rode her – she has to go with a slightly longer contact, and her head moves a lot. We’ve tried really hard with it, but some judges just don’t like the head movement. To end with a silver this week, though – you can’t want much more than that, can you?”
Asked what came next for the mare, Mari added: “She’ll be treated like royalty by Romilly – which she already is.”
Gold went to the Marie Vonderheyden and Fan Tastico H of the USA, scoring a personal best 80.54%, with Italy’s Sara Morganti taking silver on Bond Girl 18 (78.77%) and Latvia’s Rihards Snikus completing the podium on Rise And Shine (75.42%) – the gelding making his championship debut at just six years old.
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Oscar joined Horse & Hound in October 2023 and is the magazine’s dressage editor and sports manager, overseeing coverage of equestrian sport. After studying equine science at Myerscough College, he spent four years working for leading dressage rider Emile Faurie, competing at the 2015 National Dressage Championships and travelling with the yard to CDIs including Aachen and Saumur. He holds a master’s degree in Literature from York St John University (2021).