At the age of 17, McLain Ward's long-time partner Rothchild (Artos x Elegant de l'Ile) will be retired from the sport. The retirement ceremony will take place during the American Gold Cup at Old Salem Farm at the end of September.
On the American Gold Cup's Instagram page, Ward is quoted: “I think Rothchild has taught me a lot of lessons. He’s taught me about meeting a horse in the middle. He’s taught me about believing in a horse and seeing the best in him. I really like this horse, aside from what he does in the ring. If he were a person I’d go have a beer with him.”
Together, Ward and Rothchild won countless of top level competitions all over the world: Aachen, Antwerp, Bridgehampton, Devon, Hickstead, Rome, Spruce Meadows, Toronto, Valkenswaard and Wellington were just some of the many major venues where the gelding recorded big wins. In 2014, the pair won team bronze at the World Equestrian Games in Caen and in 2015 the individual gold as well as team bronze at the Pan-Am Games in Toronto.
Source: American Gold Cup's Instagram page
Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson