‘A beautiful legend’: former national champion retires aged 19

Rubins Nite, the prolific grand prix horse and long-term partner of Hayley Watson-Greaves, has retired aged 19.

Hayley bought the Rubin Royal son, affectionately known as Squeaks at home, as a two-year-old. She backed him herself and brought him right the way up through the levels, with the pair making their grand prix debut at Addington CDI in 2014.

They have been competing consistently together at the highest level for almost a decade, and were still on top form this year, when they took third on 73.54%, which was, fittingly, also at Addington CDI.

“Squeaks is truly my horse of a lifetime and he has taken me places I could only ever dream of,” Hayley told H&H.

“He is a beautiful legend and gained lots of fans from around the world with his amazing presence and he wowed people with his incredible extended trot.

“He absolutely loves to perform and dance in front of the crowds, the bigger the better. Although we never did manage to get round a prizegiving unless he had won!

“We’ve had many career highlights, being crowned national champion, winning internationals, competing at the World Cup finals in Paris, competing at the London Internation Horse Show six times, being part of the British team on several occasions and being reserve for the Olympics in Rio, to name but a few.”

On his longevity and the prospect of retirement, Hayley told H&H in June this year: “It’s important to listen to your horse, which I’m doing with Rubins Nite. I think he’ll tell me when he doesn’t want to do it any more.”

Now, with Hayley in the process of redeveloping her yard and bringing on younger horses, the time seems to be right for superstar Squeaks.

“At 19 years old, I’m so lucky I can retire him fit and healthy and loving life and I’d like to thank everyone who has been a part of, and supported us on, our journey,” she said.

Squeaks will continue to be ridden and will feature in training videos and demonstrations.

There will be a retirement ceremony for him at the 2023 British Dressage National Convention (25 November).

You might also be interested in:

‘An absolute legend’: watch this 19-year-old international grand prix horse still thriving at top level

11 things you (probably) didn’t know about Hayley Watson-Greaves

Get up to speed on the newly crowned Gloucestershire-based British national dressage champion

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