Regent, Chris Hickey's Pan Am Gold Medal Winning Ride, Passed Away

Dressage

U.S.A.

Regent, the horse that took Christopher Hickey to a team and individual gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games, has passed away. He was 22 years old.

Regent was a Dutch warmblood gelding by Flemmingh out of Jenny (by Falco). He was bed by C. Lazeroms in Sprundel, The Netherlands.

Brenna Kucinski's Regent

Hickey found Regent as a 4-year old at Dirk Fiechter's yard during a European shopping trip in 2002, looking for the right horse for his student Brenna Kucinski.

"He had a super uphill canter that Brenna and I just fell in love with," Hickey told Eurodressage."He also had a very good walk, the trot was nice, but normal. I knew I could "develop" the trot as he matured and was trained."

Brenna purchased Regent and initially trained and competed him through third level. In 2004 Hickey won the USDF Region 8 championship at third level with Regent, after spending the summer training in Europe with Ulla Salzgeber, and retained the ride to see how Regent would develop at FEI level.

"The more trained he got ,we thought, oh, maybe Chris should ride and show him a bit," Chris reminisced. "Then it seemed to just get better an develop well."

U.S.Small Tour Champion, Pan Am Gold Medallist

Hickey and Regent were the 2007 U.S. Small
Tour Champions

Hickey and Regent ended up going to the 2007 U.S. Dressage Championships in Gladstone and won the small tour championships.

They were easily selected on the U.S. team for the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where they achieved an amazing feat. Chris and Regent won the team and individual gold medal at the 2007 Pan Ams in Rio.

In 2008 Hickey moved the horse up to Grand Prix level and showed him at CDI's in Loxahatchee and Wellington. In 2009 the horse joined him on a Euro tour, as Hickey trained with Ulla Salzgeber at the time, and competed at the CDI Stadl Paura in Austria. It was the pair's last international start.

Schoolmaster for Brenna

Brenna took the ride back on Regent later in 2009 as she now had a developed Grand Prix horse to ride.

"Brenna had never had a Grand Prix horse and I realized that she should be able to ride and show her horse so I then gave him back to her to enjoy from the saddle instead of by the side of the ring," Hickey explained. "Not only was he a wonderful dressage horse but he was also such a nice guy to be around, had a wonderful temperament and character!"

Kucinski and Regent showed at national level and did one CDI as icing on the cake, the 2011 CDI Saugerties. Regent was retired from competition sport in the autumn of 2014.

An Inspirational Horse

Regent passed away on 12 May 2020 after a lovely retirement with Kucinski.

"Brenna rode him on his "easy days" and trail rides, even when I was showing him. It was a wonderful partnership that the three of us had! One that will never be forgotten," said Hickey."Regent went to Ulla Salzgeber''s to train with me two different years, and he took us to an amazing experience of representing our country at an international championship."

Chris and Regent, 2007 Pan Am Gold Medal Winners

For Hickey Regent was a career making dressage horse and for Brenna a wonderful schoolmaster.

"Regent was ridden and showed by Brenna at Grand Prix and that gave me so much happiness I'll never forget," said Hickey. "I was so proud of the two of them. For me the Pan Ams was amazing, but seeing Brenna show her Grand Prix horse was just as nice. He was truly an amazing once in a life-time horse for Brenna."

Kucinski remembers Regent as "an inspirational horse" that has "brought so much joy to my life."

"From watching Chris Hickey have so much success with him to my own ability to ride such an amazing animal I was truly blessed," said Brenna. "The Pan Am games in 2007 was an amazing adventure from start to finish. A time I will never forget. Then to receive him back a few years later with all the training and ability I was able to enjoy so much success with him on my own. He was truly a special partner who I adored and who could never be replaced. I will miss him terribly but hope that he is in a better place. I picture him romping through green pastures with tons of carrots and apples to keep him happy. Life will never be the same without him."