Showjumping fans say fond farewell to Mondriaan at Hickstead
Emotions ran high at Hickstead yesterday (Sunday 26 June) when Mondriaan, William Funnell’s three-times Derby winner, was retired in the International Arena.
The pair won the iconic Derby in 2006, 08 and 09 — and won almost £250,000 throughout the horse’s career.
William had hoped to have “one more crack at it” to win a fourth title and equal the record of Eddie Macken and Boomerang from the 1970s, but colic surgery ruled out the 17-year-old from further competition.
“It was a lovely ceremony,” Mondriaan’s owner Julie Slade told H&H. “I wasn’t expecting to get so emotional but I had a tear in my eye when they took off his saddle and William led him away. He’s been a fantastic horse.”
Hickstead’s Lizzie Bunn added: “I’ve never seen a crowd reaction like it. He got a standing ovation, it was lovely to see.”
View Mondriaan’s career in pictures
For further comments from Julie, plus William’s reaction, don’t miss Thursday’s edition of H&H magazine (30 June, 2011)
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.