At the beginning of June, Henrik von Eckermann announced the retirement of his top horse Toveks Mary Lou (Montendro x Portland L).
With von Eckermann in the saddle, the now 15-year-old mare won team silver at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon in 2018 as well as at the European Championships in Gothenburg in 2017. The pair also represented Sweden at the European Championships in Rotterdam in 2019, and at three World Cup Finals – finishing third in Omaha in 2017 and in Paris in 2018. The two were also on the winning Swedish team in the Nations Cups in Aachen and Rome in 2019. They won the Rolex Grand Prix at Windsor and the Rolex Grand Prix in Den Bosch in 2019 as well as the Longines FEI World Cup in Amsterdam that same year. In 2018 and 2017, they won the World Cup on home soil in Gothenburg. On top comes numerous podium-finishes in some of the world's most prestigious Grand Prix classes.
With this photo special, we look back at Mary Lou's incredible career and wish her a happy retirement!
All photos © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.