On Sunday, the curtains closed for McLain Ward's success mare HH Azur (Thunder vd Zuuthoeve x Sir Lui vd Zuuthoeve, breeder Nathalie Beaufort) who at the age of 17 was honoured with a retirement ceremony at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. Ward announced the mare's retirement at the beginning of July, following her last international appearance at CHIO Aachen.

With Ward in the saddle, HH Azur had prior to CHIO Aachen won both the CSI5* 1.60m Rolex Grand Prix of Geneva in December 2022, as well as the CSI5* 1.60m Rolex Grand Prix at The Dutch Masters in March this year – two of the Majors in the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, and two of the most prestigious Grand Prix classes in the world. 

HH Azur and Ward have a long list of top results to look back at. In 2017, they won the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final in Omaha, and they were a part of the US team that took silver at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016 where they also finished 9th individually.

In addition to her two more recent Major victories, HH Azur has numerous other significant wins on her resume. In 2022, she won the CSIO5* 1.60m Tourmaline Oil Cup at the Spruce Meadows Masters, the CSI4* 1.55m Empire State Grand Prix at Old Salem Farm, as well as the CSIO4* 1.60m Grand Prix presented by JTWG, Inc. in Wellington. In 2021, she also won the CSIO5* 1.60m Tourmaline Oil Cup at the Spruce Meadows Masters, as well as the CSI3* 1.60m Grand Prix at Old Salem Farm. In 2020, she won the CSI5* 1.60m Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix in Wellington. In 2019, HH Azur took the top honours in the CSI5* 1.55m Canadian Utilities Cup at Spruce Meadows and also won the CSI4* 1.60m Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon, as well as the CSI5* 1.60m Rolex Grand Prix in Wellington. In 2017, she won the CSI5* 1.60m Suncast® Grand Prix in Wellington, while in 2016 she recorded victories in the CSI4*-W 1.60m Longines FEI World Cup™ in Toronto, in the CSIO5* 1.60m Loro Piana Grand Prix of Rome and the CSI5* 1.60m Suncast® Grand Prix in Wellington. In 2015, Azur’s biggest wins came in the CSI4*-W 1.60m Longines FEI World Cup™ in Toronto as well as in the CSI4*-W 1.60m Big Ben Challenge at the same venue. 

HH Azur was also crowned 2017 USEF Horse of the Year.

“She always had a real regal way about her, which is why I call her the queen,” Ward said in a press release from Hampton Classic Horse Show. “I’ve been lucky enough to have some great top horses. She’s in the top two or three at the very least; one could even argue that she’s the best. I’m very privileged to have gotten this time with her.”