Top showjumping mare retires
French showjumper Roger Yves Bost’s top mare Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois has been retired.
The 14-year-old, with whom Roger jumped to European individual honours in 2013, was retired from competition at the World Cup show Equita Lyon in France on Saturday (1 November).
Myrtille Paulois will return to her owner, Lady Georgina Forbes in Ireland, to be used as a potentially very exciting broodmare.
“My best memory is probably here in Lyon when I won in front of this amazing public, which pushed us to victory,” said “Bosty”. “I sincerely thank the owner, who had confidence in me, my team, and Philippe Guerdat who selected me for the European championships.
“I’d also like to thank Equita for giving me the chance to say goodbye to Myrtille here; and of course, a big thank you to her.”
The mare was bred in France by the selle Francais stallion Dollar Du Murier out of Rita La Rouge (Grand Veneur). She rose to international prominence first with Irish showjumper Jessica Kurten, winning a four-star grand prix at Moorsele, Belgium, in 2009.
Bosty took over the reins in 2011 and, as well as the European title in Denmark last year, where the mare remained faultless throughout the championship, Myrtille’s biggest wins included the Rolex FEI World Cup qualifier in Helsinki in 2013, the Equita Masters in Lyon in 2012 and the grand prix of Basel, Switzerland, in 2012. Earlier this year she was also part of France’s winning Nations Cup team in Rotterdam.
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But the combination were regarded as one of the quickest and competitive in Europe when it came to a race against the clock and they racked up five-star victories in speed classes wherever they went.
A small tendon injury ruled Myrtille out of competition in September and the decision was made to retire the mare in front of her home crowd.
Don’t miss the full report from Equita Lyon — where Roger Yves Bost took the World Cup qualifier — in this week’s Horse & Hound (out Thursday 6 November).
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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.