Ilex, the “fantastic associate” of McLain Ward who helped Staff USA to a silver medal on the Paris Olympics, will probably be campaigned by a brand new rider for Brazil.
The 12-year-old Baltic VDL gelding has left McLain’s steady to return residence to Bonne Probability barn, the place he will probably be ridden by Olympic rider Marlon Modolo Zanotelli. Marlon represented his nation on the Tokyo Video games and the 2022 World Championships.
Ilex joined McLain in January 2024 as a possible Paris Olympic contender, having been efficiently competed on the high degree by Brazil’s Fabio Leivas Da Costa.
McLain and Ilex shortly constructed up a profitable bond; they have been a part of the US Nations Cup group at Wellington in March 2024, and that month they completed second within the Wellington $500,000 Rolex grand prix. On 6 July McLain and Ilex have been named on the US group for the Paris Olympics and the next day the pair completed runners-up within the Rolex grand prix of Aachen.
Their high type continued on to the Video games, McLain’s sixth Olympic look, the place he joined teammates Laura Kraut and Karl Cook dinner. The USA received silver, behind Nice Britain in gold. Following the Olympics, McLain and Illex continued to get pleasure from high placings at residence and overseas, together with being a part of the profitable US group on the CSIO5* 1.60m Longines League of Nations Ocala leg in March.
“At the moment our group stated goodbye to the fantastic Ilex who after two nice seasons will return to his residence at Bonne Probability Farm to once more symbolize Brazil,” stated McLain.
“We’re grateful for the chance that we got to journey and compete Ilex to quite a few five-star grand prix successes and to carry residence the group silver medal on the 2024 Paris Olympic Video games.”
McLain thanked Gilberto Sayao and his group at Bonne Probability for the chance and “supporting our journey to attain lofty objectives”.
“A particular thanks to Fabio Leivas da Costa, Lucia Rivas and Diego Perez Bilbao for his or her efforts in creating this partnership,” he stated.
“Ilex has been an exquisite associate with an exuberant and type persona and we sit up for seeing his continued success within the sport. Whereas we are going to miss Ilex in our steady, we’re happy to see him with a rider and horseman of the standard of Marlon Zanotelli. Bonne likelihood Marlon.”
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Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Future
H&H senior information author
Since becoming a member of H&H in 2018, Becky has coated a broad vary of equestrian information together with welfare issues, veterinary research, FEI Tribunal hearings and street security campaigns. She has additionally interviewed high riders together with Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to call just some. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, in addition to the Royal Highland and Blair Citadel Worldwide Horse Trials nearer to residence. She was additionally a key a part of the distant reporting group for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
