Text © World of Showjumping

McLain Ward’s Contagious (Contagio x For Keeps, bred by Andreas Eisenmenger) – who did his last international appearance at CHI Geneva in December last year – retires from the sport, USA’s six-time Olympian announced on Monday.

Produced by Julia Beck (GER) and Reed Kessler (USA), the now 16-year-old gelding has been Ward’s trusted championship ride for years: They won team gold and individual bronze at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago (CHI), and in 2022 Contagious was Ward’s ride for the World Championships in Herning (DEN), while at the Olympic Games in Tokyo (JPN) in 2021 the pair claimed team silver. Together, they won the prestigious CSIO5* 1.60m Turkish Airlines – Prize of Europe and the 1.60m RWE Prize of North-Rhine-Westphalia at CHIO Aachen back in 2022 as well as the CSI4* 1.60m Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon in 2022 – to mention just a few of their biggest victories. 

“With a tremendous amount of pride and gratitude, we would like to announce the retirement of Contagious,” Ward wrote on social media on Monday. “Contagious came to us from Reed Kessler who produced him beautifully through his early career. Through the incredible support of Beechwood Stables, Lise and Annabel Revers and Max Amaya, we acquired Contagious in 2018. Contagious is horse who has always given his best, and at times more than that. We hoped for him to be a successful Grand Prix horse. In the end he became a championship star, competing successfully at a World Games, two World Cup finals, a Pan Am Games, winning team gold and individual bronze. His crowning achievement was being a member of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic team that brought home a silver medal. Contagious will enjoy his retirement at the beautiful Beechwood Stables in Weston, MA. Special thanks to all of our team who worked with and cared for him so diligently over the years, especially our home team lead by Lee and Erica McKeever, Owen Rogers and Virginie Casterman. Thank you for all the great moments Poussin!”

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