Horse and Hound broke the news today that the wonderful Lenamore, Caroline Powell’s 4* stalwart, has been retired at the age of 20.
The headstrong grey, seen here (right) at the London Olympics where he helped the NZ team secure Bronze, was due to begin his spring campaign at Lincolnshire event this coming weekend, as he has done every year since 2003.
However, a routine pre-season check-up at Rossdales showed a little unexpected wear and tear, so in spite of the fact that he is totally sound and looks absolutely fantastic, Caroline and his owners the Mackinnons made the very difficult decision to retire him at his peak – his last run was at the Olympics.
Lexi Mackinnon, who produced him to 3* before handing over the reins, is quoted as saying that he will not reappear eventing at the lower levels: “he’s definitely not an amateur’s ride.”
He holds the record as the horse with the most points ever at BE, 2321, a record which will probably stand for a very long time!
Whatever he does in his retirement, we’re sure he’ll do it with his customary flair and attitude! Good luck ‘Ed’, and thanks for being such a wonderful competitor, you will be much missed.
All photos by kind permission of Will Baxter
