17/09/2026
With a big smile and a few emotional tears, Raff thé Man and I rode our last official high-level competition together last Friday. ❤ It was a special moment, with amazing and lovely people surrounding us as we came out of the show ring after that final ride (forever thankful, girls!)
Raff has been with me since he was a green-as-grass, neurotic 4-year-old, all the way to becoming a steady and reliable (in his own autistic way 😉) 16-year-old International Open-level sport horse.
Our goal this year was the biggest European show, the German Open. We had a great Qualification season, but after carefully weighing the long transport (not his best skill), the húge arena (he is physically not used for that kind of power) and the intense pre-season.. we came to the conclusion that it is simply not worth the risk of asking too much. He had proved himself more than once, and at some point, enough is more than enough.
So we took a bit of a summer break with him and started focusing on a smaller goal: the Western Riding class. Getting his flying leadchanges on point. It was a different kind of focus, and it absolutely did not come easy (sorry, Karel, for all the bitchy struggles 😅), but Raff did what Raff does best, he nailed it. And last Friday, in our first competition in this class, we achieved everything I could have wished for.
For a while, Karel and I have been talking about Raff’s future and kept an extra sharp eye on him this past year. As a rider, you keep developing, but at some point your horse can not. Or at least, not without increasing the risk of injury or wearing out the joints. Especially when you are talking about a senior horse with a less-than-ideal body composition. You then have the choice to keep pushing, with all the risks that come with it, to keep repeating the level you are currently at, or to take it down a notch. I’ve chosen the latter.
Raff is not retiring. We’re simply taking away the physical and mental pressure and making room for a new chapter. More outdoor riding, bit more free time and perhaps a youth/novice rider he can guide through some lower-level shows. No idea how it is going to go, but we will make sure to have fun while figuring it out.
It has not always been easy or fun to work with him, but I would be nowhere without him. He has shaped me in so many ways and on so many different levels in life. And honestly, it feels like such a blessing that at 16 years, he is still fit, healthy and in one piece, and that we can look back on everything we have achieved together. Now it’s time to say: let’s enjoy the many relaxed years ahead. ❤️
This Sunday, we’ll pick up our final two Arabian Studbook Predicate titles. One last little milestone in an amazing journey and then we’ll look forward to whatever comes next.
Thank you Claudia Dermois - Fotografie for beeing there to capture our last show moments 💗
