Yuri Mansur of Team Brazil, on Miss Blue, during the Jumping Individual Qualifier at the Château de Versailles during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games.
Olympic showjumper Yuri Mansur has said an emotional farewell to 12-year-old mare Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm, with whom he competed at Paris 2024.
The pair represented Brazil at last summer’s Olympic Games, also winning many of the biggest grands prix in the world, including the CSI5* Hamburg last year, Fontainebleau in April and the Rolex grand prix of Rome last month.
But the bay daughter of Chacco-Blue died on Tuesday (24 June) owing to “complications arising from colic”. Yuri paid heartfelt tribute to his beloved mare “who changed my career”. The leading Brazilian rider also expressed his gratitude “to an individual, a phenomenon, an angel named Miss Blue”.
“I’ll never forget a single moment, every part of the story,” he said. “From the very beginning – watching a video during the Tokyo Olympic Games, her first jump, and of course, all the great victories that followed.”
Yuri Mansur on Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm: “Sheer brilliance over the jumps”
Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm was bred in Brazil at Haras Rosa Mystica and originally went under the name Miss Blue Mystic Rose.
Her VDL Zirocco Blue-sired dam Magnolia Mystic Rose had also jumped to five-star level, most recently with Brazilian showjumper Eduardo Pereira De Menezes but she also represented Guatemala at the 2019 Pan-Am Games.
Miss Blue was bought as a two-year-old by long-time owner Thalita Olsen de Almeida and Yuri began the mare’s international career in 2022, after which they quickly became one of the most consistent combinations at the top level and a joy to watch over the biggest tracks.
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“She’s barely gone and I already miss her grumpiness in the stall, her enthusiasm for work, and her sheer brilliance over the jumps,” said Yuri. “As with every great achievement, it always takes time for the reality to sink in. I still can’t believe I won’t see her again – that I’ll never again spend my days by her side.”
Brazil’s Yuri Mansur on Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm during the World Cup jumping at the Gothenburg Horse Show in Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden.
But Yuri Mansur revealed that an “overwhelming feeling of gratitude” was giving him and his family “strength and comfort”.
“For giving me, even if just for a short while, the chance to share life with such a special soul,” continued the 2017 King George V Gold Cup-winning rider. “She changed my career, and lit up my family and my team with her talent and brilliance.
“A flame that burns so bright and so beautifully can never burn for long. Thank you, Miss Blue, for everything. One day, we’ll be together again.”
The Brazilian equestrian federation posted its own tribute to Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm, describing her as “a queen – a reason of great pride” for the Brazilian production process and the country’s horsemanship.
“She was admired by the elite and fans of the sport around the world,” a spokesperson said. “Without a doubt, Miss Blue Saint-Blue Farm is a unique star.”
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
