Neumayer's Rodriguez Retired from Sport

Dressage

Austria

Astrid Neumayer's number one Grand Prix horse Rodriguez has been retired from competition sport in a special ceremony at the 2018 Austrian Dressage Championships in Steyr, Austria, on Sunday 30 September 2018.

Neumayer and the 18-year old Rodriguez won silver at the hors's last dressage competition in his career. "It is silver that feels like gold," Neumayer commented about her silver medal. A special tribute was paid to the horse during the prize giving ceremony on Sunday.

Rodriguez is a Brandenburg registered gelding, bred by Gunhter Jakobs and sired by Rubinstern Noir out of Gundi (by Gaspari II).

The 1,57 m standing stallion was licensed and did his 30-day stallion performance test in Munich in October 2004, but no offspring has been registered for sport with the German equestrian federation.

In 2011 the dark bay moved to Austrian Astrid Neumayer's yard as a gelding, where their mutual international career began at young riders' level. "It wasn't very easy. His temperament and his very lively nature often required much trust, patience and a sensitive hand," Neumayer recalled.

In 2012 they rose to Grand Prix level and in 2013 they began competing at international Grand Prix level. Their first score was a 58.340% at the CDI Achleiten and fortunately the marks only went up from there. They ended up representing Austria at the 2015 and 2017 European Championships in Aachen and Gothenburg. The pair won triple silver and bronze at Austrian Championships.

Rodriguez' fans at the Austrian championships

Rodriguez was a career launching horse for Neumayer. "With him I had the first chance to participate in the big tournaments," Astrid told Eurodressage. "We competed at two times at European Championships, World Cup stations like Stuttgart, Amsterdam, Salzburg; 5* like Dortmund, Mallorca and Doha. Training Rodriguez was not always easy. I have learned that if you believe in something you must not give up."

Rodriguez will now spent his retirement at Neumayer's Pramwaldhof in Austria