March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010
August 2010
September 2010 October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013 January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 January 2015 February 2015 March 2015 April 2015 May 2015 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 January 2016 February 2016 March 2016 April 2016 May 2016 June 2016 July 2016 August 2016 September 2016 October 2016 November 2016 December 2016 January 2017 February 2017 March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017 July 2017 August 2017 September 2017 October 2017 November 2017 December 2017 January 2018 February 2018 March 2018 April 2018 May 2018 June 2018 July 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018 November 2018 December 2018 January 2019 February 2019 March 2019 April 2019 May 2019 June 2019 July 2019 August 2019 September 2019 October 2019 November 2019 December 2019 January 2020 February 2020 March 2020 April 2020 May 2020 June 2020 July 2020 August 2020 September 2020 October 2020 November 2020 December 2020 January 2021 February 2021 March 2021 April 2021 May 2021 June 2021 July 2021 August 2021 September 2021 October 2021 November 2021 December 2021 January 2022 February 2022 March 2022 April 2022 May 2022 June 2022 July 2022 August 2022 September 2022 October 2022 November 2022 December 2022 January 2023 February 2023 March 2023 April 2023 May 2023 June 2023 July 2023 August 2023 September 2023 October 2023 November 2023 December 2023 January 2024 February 2024 March 2024
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
News Every Day |

Winning racehorse turned five-star eventer retires after top-flight career

Soladoun retires: Elizabeth Power’s five-star ride has bowed out of competition
Elizabeth Power riding Soladoun at Badminton Horse Trials 2022.

Irish rider Elizabeth “Esib” Power has paid tribute to her retiring five-star campaigner and phenomenal cross-country horse Soladoun.

The 15-year-old former racehorse, who Elizabeth owns with Richard Ames, won on the Flat as a three-year-old before switching to eventing and will now spend his retirement “not wanting for anything” at Elizabeth’s yard.

The career highlights of the French-bred Madoun son include ninth at Burghley Horse Trials in 2018, a win at Kilguilkey CCI4*-S and third at Gatcombe and Chatsworth CIC3*s (now CCI4*-S) in 2016. His final start was at Badminton Horse Trials this year, where he rose 18 places after dressage with a jumping clear over Eric Winter’s cross-country track. An injury meant he was not presented for the final trot-up and connections have called time on his career.

“I always believed in him. I don’t know why because he was a really naughty as an intermediate horse – he ran out all the time. He was so bold. I just always thought that when he got through it, he would be an amazing cross-country horse,” Elizabeth told H&H.

“He will retire here and won’t want for anything. He is the nicest, kindest person in the stable. He is such a lovely horse.”

Elizabeth has had “Alfie” from the start of his eventing career.

“Jackie Green and I bought him out of Alan King’s yard,” she said. “I was based at Jackie’s at the time and I used to ride out at ‘Kingy’s’. That’s how it all started. I’m very good friends with Alan and I had one or two from his before Soladoun – they’ve gone on to be successful and good horses for whoever they are with.

“Ex-racehorses are something I enjoy – you take a chance and I’ve been very lucky. Physically, he really was an ex-racehorse to look at and still is. He isn’t your modern event horse that fills out and you wouldn’t recognise them. He has always had the thoroughbred look about him.”

She added that this means dressage is a challenge – not because he does anything wrong, but because of the way he is physically built.
“He gave me everything he could and tried really hard in his Badminton test,” she said, adding that Badminton is one of four events that particularly stand out in his career “not for reasons of glory” but for the horse he is to have performed the way he did.

Soladoun missed the whole of 2019 through injury. He returned in 2020, winning Kilguilkey CCI4*-S, but unfortunately sustained another injury. When Burghley was cancelled, Elizabeth gave him an extra year off. He returned to competition in March 2022, enjoying three runs prior to Badminton.

“He hadn’t run competitively for four years, to go straight back and to see all those people in the dressage. And in hindsight, to keep going across country and to deliver the performance he did, is unbelievable,” Elizabeth said.

His podium finish in the Event Rider Masters CIC3* (now CCI4*-S) at Gatcombe in 2016 marked the first of those four memorable runs.
The pair were down the order after dressage and their cross-country performance – the quickest of the day – propelled them up the leaderboard to finish third.

“That was a really special day,” said Elizabeth. “He shone and everyone saw him. The saw that he wasn’t an also-ran, he really stood out that day.”

In 2017, he made the time at Chatsworth, adding a seventh-place rosette to his third-place finish at the 2016 event.

“You’re going round thinking it isn’t possible to make the time, and he was in a beautiful rhythm,” she said. “He was a winner on the Flat, he wasn’t a ‘go slow’ racehorse – you can definitely tell the difference.

“Then there was Burghley 2018. It was so long since I had ridden at that level. I had expectations, but nobody else had expectations of me.

“For him to perform like he did was amazing. It was more how ridiculously easy it felt on him. Burghley shouldn’t feel that easy and it was one of the toughest years. He pinged round for fun and that was one of my favourite runs with him.”

The pair tipped one rail on the final day to finish ninth, Elizabeth’s best result at five-star.

“He is not going to go down as a horse who has won loads, but he has achieved an awful lot,” said Elizabeth.

“It took those big runs around the major tracks for him to get noticed. It’s hard in the modern sport when those flashy types take the limelight at the lower levels. That’s what I love about Badminton and Burghley; they still take a horse with grit and determination. And I think it’s really important they stay that way. If they change, I think there wouldn’t be a place for horses like him in the modern sport and that would be such a shame. I hope the sport doesn’t lose sight of that. It would be a really sad day for the sport if those horses didn’t have a place.”

In announcing his retirement, Elizabeth said she had “so many emotions” but was focused on just one – pride.

“My superstar horse gave me everything and he definitely left it all on the field of play. Unfortunately his body will not allow him to have the superstar career he so richly deserves and definitely wants,” she said on her Facebook page.

“Performance-wise, Alfie gave his all at Badminton. He did a super test and jumped around a super tough five-star at his ease. Not as speedy as usual but in hindsight it is a miracle he did what he did. He loves his cross-country and with the crowds as big as I’ve ever seen at Badminton his last cross-country will go down as one of his best.

“I along with Richard Ames are bursting with pride of our amazing boy. Of course we are heartbroken but we have Alfie home and well and he will have the best life a superstar like him so richly deserves. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and Alfie is definitely one of mine.

“Perspective is also very important and I am sending all my love and best wishes to Nicola Wilson for a very speedy recovery. A fabulous rider and person, who we are all thinking of right now.”

You might also be interested in:

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

Москва

Признали невменяемой. Мать, зарезавшую сына в Москве, отправили на лечение

Inside Jason Statham’s rise from boy racer flogging gold chains at 14 to making £32m a year as UK’s top Hollywood star

Classic Science Fiction The Invading Asteroid - Full Audiobook - Alien Invasion

Sci-Fi Creepypasta The Devolution Experiment Body HORROR Story

Sci-Fi Creepypasta I Met Myself On A Mirrored Earth Alternate Reality Story

Ria.city






Read also

Baby giraffe found dead at Zoo Miami

College Basketball Stats are now in Stathead! Check out our first discovery tool

22-year-old has played his last game for Leeds United

News, articles, comments, with a minute-by-minute update, now on Today24.pro

News Every Day

Discover Boho Elegance: Furniture & Interior Services Redefined

Today24.pro — latest news 24/7. You can add your news instantly now — here


News Every Day

Classic Science Fiction The Invading Asteroid - Full Audiobook - Alien Invasion



Sports today


Новости тенниса
Новак Джокович

Вызов Лодыгина, слухи о визите Джоковича и презентация новой формы: как сборная России готовится к товарищеским матчам



Спорт в России и мире
Москва

«Трактор» победил «Динамо» в овертайме и вышел вперёд в серии Кубка Гагарина



All sports news today





Sports in Russia today

Москва

Алексей Заварухин: Никто не ожидал, что «Трактор» заберет две игры в Москве


Новости России

Game News

Мафия-НН: Осознав всю нелепость своего положения, "мирняк" собрался и поразил своего обидчика в самую его сущность бытия.


Russian.city


Москва

Петр Бирюков: очистные сооружения "Яковлево" реконструируют в ТиНАО Москвы


Губернаторы России
Домодедово

Собянин сообщил об уничтожении беспилотников в городском округе Домодедово


Предварительные итоги выборов президента России в Новосибирской области

Петербург дал Путину 83 процента при явке в 69%

Человек пострадал в ДТП с участием грузовика и машины дорожных служб на ЦКАД

Исчточник «360»: на Тверской в Москве мужчина грозился поджечь себя


Сергей Арутюнов: «Мастерство пришло с опытом»

“Вы сейчас какой-то новый конфликт рождаете!” Сергей Лазарев все-таки сфотографировался с Анастасией Волочковой в “Шоу Воли” на ТНТ

Цискаридзе призвал российских артистов гастролировать по РФ

Кристина Орбакайте выступит в США и Канаде после отмены концертов в России


Медведев поделился ожиданиями от матча с Полом в полуфинале турнира ATP в Индиан-Уэллсе

Вызов Лодыгина, слухи о визите Джоковича и презентация новой формы: как сборная России готовится к товарищеским матчам

Касаткина отреагировала на слова Медведева о «советах тренера WTA»

Диана Шнайдер проиграла Элизабетте Коччаретто в финале турнира WTA-125 в Чарльстоне



Признали невменяемой. Мать, зарезавшую сына в Москве, отправили на лечение

"Известия": Песков оценил идею переговоров РФ и США о контроле над вооружениями

Кажетта Ахметжанова: почему нельзя стричь волосы самой себе — 5 опасных последствий

Алексей Заварухин: Никто не ожидал, что «Трактор» заберет две игры в Москве


Владимир Кончев призвал жителей Республики Алтай проголосовать на выборах президента РФ

АО «РЭС» обеспечило стабильное электроснабжение в период выборов

Путин призвал сделать все для поддержки людей в Авдеевке

Собянин сообщил о сбитых беспилотниках в районе Домодедово


Праздник Севера – 2024: в Долине Уюта прошли соревнования по лыжным гонкам

Профессор РАН Роман Шмаков стал новым директором областного института акушерства и гинекологии

РФ потребовала от ФРГ признать блокаду Ленинграда геноцидом и выплатить компенсации

Спрос упадет. Эксперты прогнозируют падение цен на недвижимость летом



Путин в России и мире






Персональные новости Russian.city
Концерт

Концерт, посвященный десятой годовщине воссоединения Крыма с Россией, прошел в Петрозаводске 



News Every Day

Sci-Fi Creepypasta I Met Myself On A Mirrored Earth Alternate Reality Story




Friends of Today24

Музыкальные новости

Персональные новости