So sad to hear but completely agree with Jonelle’s philosophy. I cannot wait to see what these mares accomplish in their “second” careers as mothers. Who wouldn’t want a Classic Moet baby?!
She has done such a wonderful job with them - especially loved watching her blast around XC on Classic Moet!
So sad to think they won’t be out anymore but what a career for these incredible mares. Epitome of event horses.
They are both incredible, but in particular what a privilege to have been an eventing fan in the time of Classic Moet.
The last four events on her (eventing) FEI record are 5 stars, and she added a combined total cross country time and jumping penalties across all four of 0. Flat zero. Four different 5 stars on two different continents requiring four plane rides, contested at the age of 18 and 19 years old, absolutely nothing added in the cross country phase. She never had a jumping penalty at 5 star in her entire career.
She did her first WEG as an 11 year old (then built at 5 star level) on the back of just one top level run at Luhmuhlen, had the fastest round of the day by more than eight seconds (over Nereo), and finished just off the podium in mud up to her ears that tested the hearts and minds of some of the best event horses competing at the time.
They never built a track big enough for her. She never once failed to bring her rider safely across the finish line. When she won Badminton, she did so with more than a rail in hand. She ran at top level for eight years, with the only gap on her record being COVID because it simply wasn’t worth her time to run the small stuff.
I could go on and on. One of the absolute greats of our sport. I’m not sure she’ll ever be replicated, but I can’t wait to see them try. I wish them luck finding stallions worthy of her talent and her heart.
Agreed. There is no rival. Any stallion would be lucky to be considered a match for her!
and shes not one anyone would have looked twice at. Like so many of the greats. Fancy isn’t always the way to go, that’s for sure.
Absolutely love Classic Moet and her partnership with Jonelle.
Jonelle said she only rode Classic Moet at first because the owner made her a package deal with another horse. Jonelle wasn’t much interested in Molly at first and evidently she wasn’t the easiest at that time either. What a long way from that inauspicious beginning to all that she accomplished in her career. Thanks for the recap @Marigold
If someone would offer for sale a video compilation of every one of Classic Moet’s elite events, I’d buy it for myself for Christmas. I am in awe and always will be. Jonelle is both wise and brave to make this move for Classic Moet. <3
Of course the decision would have been made with the owner, Trisha Rickards.
Also cool to see that Faerie Dianimo, bred and owned by Trisha, won the 5 year old Burghley young event horse class. Of course, she had some very classic British event breeding in half her pedigree, the motherline. https://horsetelex.com/horses/pedigree/1584322/faerie-dianimo
The wonderful Molly is in the final for Equiratings horse of the year (as she should be!) She is up against the incredible 9 year old Zaragoza, and appears to need all the help she can get. Voting closes in just a couple hours, so please consider taking a moment to vote for one of the great cross country horses our sport has ever seen! We were fortunate indeed to have watched her set the example around the big tracks for so many years.
Done.
I’m gunna be very upset if Molly doesn’t win
Vote for Classic Moet!
They are both nice horses but there’s nothing that compares to Molly imo. Something about that mare has always set my heart aflutter. Voted.