Christa Larmoyeur's Ovation Passed Away

Dressage

The Netherlands

Christa Larmoyeur's career making Grand Prix horse, Ovation, has passed away on 16 January 2021. He would have turned 25 in spring.

Ovation was a Dutch warmblood by Cabochon out of Gerona (by Apollonios xx x Porter). He was bred by G. Pelgrum.

During his sport career the gelding was owned by Christa's ex-husband Jacques Laarakkers and J Smits and as of 2010 by Laarakkers and stallion owner GW van Norel.

Knocking at the Door for Team Selection

Christa Larmoyeur began riding Ovation in 2004 and trained him to Grand Prix level. Ovation became a horse that was constantly knocking at the door for Dutch team selection, but never made it. They were Dutch A-squad listed and short listed for the 2012 Dutch Olympic team. Their highest ranking on the FEI World Dressage Ranking was 29th.

The pair made its international show debut at small tour level at the 2005 CDI-W Mechelen in Belgium and were fifth at the 2006 Dutch Small Tour Dressage Championships. In December 2006 they moved up to Grand Prix level at the CDI-W Mechelen.

They competed at the Dutch Dressage Championships in 2007 (11th), 2008 (8th), 2009 (11th), and 2011 (6th).

Ovation's international Grand Prix career spanned from 2007 till 2012 and they competed at some of the most prestigious CDI's in the world. They showed Aachen, Falsterbo, London, Amsterdam, Wellington, 's Hertogenbosch, Drachten, Lingen, Addington, Gothenburg, Neumunster, etc.

They booked a double victory at the 2010 CDI-W Wroclaw and booked victories in Addington, Brno, recording 6 international wins. Their Grand Prix high score was 72.638% in Wroclaw.

Their last CDI was in 's Hertogenbosch in March 2012 where they placed 9th in the Grand Prix (62.362%) and 9th in the Kur (67.650%)

Retirement

In December 2014 a special retirement ceremony was held for Ovation at the IICH Groningen.

Ovation spent his retirement at Christa's barn.

"In my riding career I owe most to Ovation," said Larmoyeur. "He had a golden character and made the daily training a party. Ovation was so much more than a competition horse. He was my friend who was waiting for me each morning and felt offended when I didn't start the day with him. He would beat up his stall. This is the bond you create when you have a horse from age 2 in your barn and hang out with day in, day out, year in, year out. Till his last day we had that connection.When I called 'does Vation want a lump of sugar?" he would drag each working student along with him to me."

Ovation was put to sleep on 16 January 2021.

"Linda Kouwenhoven helped me today, because this was very difficult," said Christa. "Together we were crying our eyes out and dug up memories while he peacefully went to sleep. He won so much for me, but couldn't win this one."