‘Reunited in heaven’: sad farewell to ‘one in a million’ mare who represented her country
Butterfly IV and Dan Watson won at grand prix and represented their country
Dan Watson has paid tribute to his “one in a million” mare Butterfly IV, the first horse he bred and with whom he went to the top level of dressage.
Dan had to make the call this month in the best interests of the 18-year-old mare, who was owned by the late Barbie Marceau, spent her life with Dan and left him with “so many special memories along the way”.
“She gave everything to me,” Dan told H&H. “We had such a lovely trust between us.”
Dan bred Butterfly, out of Daisy by Breitling W.
“She was the first horse I bred, and she was just phenomenal all the way through,” he said.
“Everything to do with that mare is precious to me. She was owned by my ‘second mum’ Barbie; she bought a horse for me years ago when I was 22, who I trained to inter II level, went internationally at small tour and did very well.
“Barbie bought Butterfly as a foal, and Butterfly stayed with me right the way through, so I was very close to Barbie, as much as I was to Butterfly. Barbie died four years ago from a stroke, so I lost Barbie, then I lost Butterfly. It’s the end of an era in a way.”
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Butterfly IV was reserve champion five-year-old nationally with Daniel, then won internationally in France that year.
She won medium and prix st georges (PSG) regionals, was placed internationally at PSG and inter I, won national grands prix and represented Britain on a Nations Cup team.
Butterfly IV: an amazing 18 years
“I had a brilliant 18 years with her, she was amazing, just a lovely, lovely horse,” Dan said. “When she won in France as a five-year-old, that was fabulous as I never expected that, and she did very well internationally at small tour. It was an amazing journey.”
Dan said at home, Butterfly might take exception when, for example, someone tried to groom her.
“But then I went in and she’d be ‘Oh, it’s Dad now’,” he said. “That was just her, we had such an amazing bond between us.”
Dan and Craig Messenger run Aster Horses in Kent. In a separate tribute, they said:
“Thank you for everything, you wonderful, kind mare. You will always hold a very special place in our hearts and will never be forgotten.
“Run free now, Butterfly, and be reunited with your human mum, Barbie, in heaven. Thank you for all the wonderful memories. You truly were one in a million.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.