Text © World of Showjumping

Eduardo Alvarez Aznar’s faithful partner Rokfeller de Pleville Bois Margot (L’Arc de Triomphe x Apache d’Adriers, bred by Valerie Allix) will be retired from the sport. This weekend, the 20-year-old gelding will make his final international apperance on home soil at the Longines Global Champions Tour of Madrid to mark the end of a long and successful partnership with Aznar.

“This is not a goodbye, much less a farewell,” Aznar commented to World of Showjumping. “It is a tribute, a well-deserved recognition for having been the horse of my life, the spearhead of my stable, the number one, the best.”

“Roky: Together we’ve competed on the best arenas in the world. From the endless hours training in Aranjuez to the thousands of kilometers traveled across all continents, ours has been a kind of fortune that rarely happens in life; the perfect horse for a rider you’ve helped improve with every competition. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned over all these years by your side, it’s this: To be a better rider. With you, I’ve achieved a record I once only dreamed of. Only you and I know how hard it’s been to get here. You did it through effort, determination, perseverance, and growth—and through all those hours of work, dedication, and challenges, you’ve always shown the nobility true champions are made of. You are an extraordinary horse, and you’ve proven it from day one. Now the time has come to rest. But you must know that every day, every time I ride another horse or compete in a show, my mind will be thinking of how you would have done it, and what decision you would have made on the last stride before the jump. Thank you for everything, Roky.”

Together for over a decade, Aznar and Rokfeller have built a beautiful partnership. During the years, the two have competed at three European Championships, two World Championships, as well as at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris – and are still at the very top of their game. As the Longines Global Champions Tour 2024-season got underway in Doha in February last year, Rokfeller jumped to a second place in the LGCT Grand Prix, and followed up with a fourth place in the LGCT Grand Prix of Miami, a third place in the LGCT Grand Prix of Mexico City, and another third place in the LGCT Grand Prix of St Tropez, before finishing off the season in style by winning the LGCT Grand Prix in Rabat last October.

At World of Showjumping, we wish Rokfeller a very happy retirement!