Grand prix celebrity Con Quidam RB, who helped the Netherlands win workforce silver on the 2022 World Championships, has retired from sport aged 20.
His rider Sanne Thijssen confirmed the KWPN stallion’s retirement after they got here second in a CSI4* 1.55m grand prix in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, on 15 March.
“The very fact this chapter is coming to an finish is indescribable,” stated Sanne.
Con Quidam RB was produced as a younger horse by Bulgaria’s Rossen Ratichev, who competed him within the six-year-old closing on the World Breeding Championships in Lanaken, ending thirteenth. “Connie” joined the Thijssen household in spring 2013 – ridden by Sanne’s father Leon, earlier than Sanne, then 16, took on the reins in August 2014.
Over the following 12 years Sanne and Connie climbed the ranks collectively, amassing a formidable 19 grand prix victories and €1.4m (£1.2m) in prize cash. They competed on the 2015 and 2016 younger rider Europeans, serving to the Netherlands win silver on the latter.
In 2021 they had been on the workforce that received gold on the Nations Cup Remaining in Barcelona, and in 2022 the workforce silver on the World Championships in Herning. A few of their many different highlights embody successful the Longines International Champions Tour grands prix in Valkenswaard and Madrid and the Rotterdam CSIO5* grand prix.
Sanne stated Connie taught her “to combat and never to surrender” – and “all the time gave 200%”.
“You might sense so effectively when it wanted to occur. When it was an vital day. After we needed to point out the world what we might obtain collectively,” she stated.
“The identical utilized to those closing rounds. We fell brief by 0.15 seconds for a closing victory, however that second place felt simply pretty much as good as a victory.
“I’m positive if it had been as much as you, this may not have been the final one. However to guard your golden coronary heart, your lion coronary heart that can all the time preserve going, we’ve got determined that it’s time. Time on your well-deserved retirement.”
Sanne stated there was “pleasure and disappointment” in Connie’s retirement.
“Pleasure, since you deserved this a lot, and we had been capable of conclude it so superbly. Disappointment, as a result of I’m going to overlook you a lot at competitions. Not simply the performances we had collectively within the ring, but additionally your character and manner. All the pieces that made you you,” she stated.
“Generally it appeared as if we might talk with one another. You felt precisely how I felt, and I knew precisely the way you felt. We made one another stronger and complemented one another the place vital. Two peas in a pod.”
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Since becoming a member of H&H in 2018, Becky has coated a broad vary of equestrian information together with welfare issues, veterinary research, FEI Tribunal hearings and highway security campaigns. She has additionally interviewed prime riders together with Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to call just some. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, in addition to the Royal Highland and Blair Fort Worldwide Horse Trials nearer to house. She was additionally a key a part of the distant reporting workforce for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.