Friday, 20 September 2024
Sophie Wells has announced the retirement of two of her medal-winning horses, C Fatal Attraction and Don Cara M. Between them, the geldings have won a total of 16 senior championship medals over the past nine years while partnering Grade 5 para dressage athlete Sophie.
Owned by Charlotte Hogg, C Fatal Attraction joined Sophie’s yard in 2013 as a six-year-old, after she fell in love with him from an online video. They made their senior championship debut together at the FEI Para Dressage European Championship at Deauville, France in 2015, where they won individual and freestyle silver, and helped the British team take gold. After featuring on the nominated entry list for Rio 2016 alongside stablemate Valerius, who would eventually receive the call-up, ‘Jorge’ was back on team duties for the FEI Para Dressage European Championship in 2017, in Gothenburg, Sweden, taking individual silver, and team and freestyle gold.
In 2018, it was time for Jorge to step onto the global stage at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA. He and Sophie proved their calibre by convincingly taking individual and freestyle gold, in addition to helping the Brits to team silver. The following year, they spearheaded an otherwise debutant squad for the FEI Para Dressage European Championship in 2019, held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where they picked up three silver medals.
Alongside his para dressage career, Jorge and Sophie also competed successfully in dressage, including placings at Prix St Georges and Inter I level. They contested the LeMieux National Dressage Championships in 2019, finishing fourth in the Prix St Georges final, third in the Inter 1 final and fourth in the Inter 1 freestyle – all in amongst elite company from the world of international dressage.
Selection for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games was almost inevitable but, unfortunately, some fitness concerns shortly before departure meant that Jorge had to step aside to allow stablemate Don Cara M to take his spot on the plane.
After a long period of careful rehabilitation by Sophie and her team, the now 17-year-old Jorge made his return to the white boards at the start of this year, with Grade 3 athlete Erin Orford in the saddle. They had wins at Arena UK and Hill House Equestrian Centre, before placing second at the Para Winter Championships at Myerscough College in February. Two international runs followed, with a pair of wins at the CPEDI3* at Addington in March and a second and third at Wellington CPEDI3* in June. These results earned them a place on the nominated entry list for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
“Although the only championship Jorge didn’t go to was a Games, he was one of my best,” shared Sophie. “Highlights were his double gold in Tryon for the Worlds – he got record scores there and felt like he was just coming into his own. He gave an awesome feeling to ride, although he spent most of his life spooking at small things at home. His favourite arenas were stadiums – nothing too close, but plenty of people clapping and cameras. He was a real showman and could still make me smile from just having a little trot round the arena towards the end of his career, when he just did little bits at home. It was like putting an old pair of slippers on after 12 years together.”
Owned by Rowland Kinch, a then 11-year-old Don Cara M joined Sophie’s yard at the start of 2020. He’d spent the previous three years competing at Medium and Advanced Medium level by Amy Woodhead, but difficulties with flying changes were preventing him from progressing further up the levels. Sophie spent their first season together – which was fragmented due to the pandemic – competing in a mixture of para dressage and Medium classes to help cement their partnership, and they never finished lower than second place at any of their outings.
A 2021 season that was littered with top placings saw ‘Donnie’ selected as Sophie’s direct reserve horse for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – a role that proved necessary when stablemate Jorge had to withdraw shortly before departure due to concerns over his fitness. Despite the Games being his senior championship debut, Donnie stepped up to the plate and proved a worthy substitute, helping ParalympicsGB to retain the team gold title and also taking Grade 5 individual silver and fourth place in the freestyle.
After a winter spent competing at Medium level, including third and fourth placings at the Winter Regional Championship, Sophie and Donnie returned to para dressage in the spring of 2022 with their sights set on the FEI Para Dressage World Championship in Herning that summer. A strong selection campaign saw them reuniting their Tokyo 2020 teammates in Denmark, where they took individual silver and freestyle bronze. Shortly after their return home, Sophie and Donnie became Grade 5 Para Gold Champions at the LeMieux National Dressage Championships.
After sitting out the FEI Para Dressage European Championship in 2023 to allow for an educational trip for rising star LJT Egebjerggards Samoa, Donnie was selected for his second Paralympic Games this summer in Paris. Unfortunately, a minor veterinary issue meant he had to be withdrawn shortly afterwards, giving way once more to LJT Egebjerggards Samoa.
“Don came into my life thanks to Amy and Tracy Woodhead,” explained Sophie. “He struggled with his flying changes and they knew I didn’t have to do them for para. It was truly the essence of the idea that not every dressage horse is destined for Grand Prix, but there is still somewhere they can excel in their comfort zone. It was a different challenge because I have most of my horses from when they’re young and he was a complex horse in his personality, but that made the challenge more rewarding and our relationship more special. He’s truly one of a kind – funny, kind, anxious, talented and complex – and leaves a huge hole in the yard after five years here.
“I’m so proud of what we achieved with both horses, and so grateful to both owners, Charlotte Hogg and Rowland Kinch, for their trust.”
Both horses will now return to their respective owners to live out a happy retirement from competition.
“On behalf of everyone on the World Class Programme, I’d like to offer up a huge thank you to Charlotte and Rowland for entrusting us with their horses and allowing them to represent their country on so many occasions,” said Para Dressage Performance Manager Georgina Sharples. “It has been a pleasure to see both Jorge and Donnie perform on the world stage so successfully in their time with Sophie and we’d all like to wish them a long and happy retirement. Thank you to both of them for the medals and the memories.”