Spencer Wilton Announces Retirement of Super Nova

Dressage

Great Britain

Former British team rider Spencer Wilton has announced the retirement of his triple team ride, Super Nova.

Super Nova is an 18-year old British Hanoverian by De Niro out of Walpurgis (by Weltmeyer x Golfstrom x Smaragd).

British Bred and Produced

He is bred by Mrs Kirby in Wales and sold to the Phillips' family as a weanling. They named him Ruxton Dimitri.

Melanie Phillips broke and trained him initially, making their first claim to fame at the 2008 British National Championships. Melanie took him for a lesson to Carl Hester and the horse sold to the Olympian and his long-time sponsor Roly Luard.

In 2012 "Super Nova" sold to Jen Goodman and Spencer Wilton, who made his international show debut at small tour in 2013 and won the British Prix St Georges Championships. A year later they moved to Grand Prix level.

Rio, Gothenburg, Tryon

Melanie Philipps and Ruxton Dimitri in 2008

They first made it on the British team for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where they were 21st in the Special and earned team silver.

At the 2017 European Championships in Gothenburg they were 13th in the Freestyle and were 4th with the team.

Super Nova got injured in the winter of 2017-2018 and missed the majority of the show season that year.

The gelding returned back on the team with the minimum mandatory CDI Grand Prix starts in 2018 (CDI's in Hartpury and Hickstead), yet twice withdrew for the GP Special.

At the 2018 World Equestrian Games, their 74.581% Grand Prix score helped Great Britain secure team bronze. They withdrew again for the Special.

No Rotterdam, nor Tokyo

In 2019 Super Nova stood down from team contention for the European Championships in Rotterdam to give the then 16-year old horse a quieter year and aim for the 2020 Olympics

They returned to CDI competition in Lier in February 2020 and competed at the 2020 CDI Keysoe in March, their last international before the corona pandemic.

They were entered for the 2021 CDI Wellington Heckfield as their big international come back and first team selection event, but withdrew a few days before due to the rider's back problems.

"I had three injections a couple of weeks ago that have helped but not completely," Spencer told Eurodressage in May. "My back actually feels good but I'm getting a lot of severe cramps in my left leg so the consultant wants to try another non surgical procedure to sort that out. (...) If all goes well Compiegne and Le Mans (will be next). It's very frustrating as I did a national show a couple of weeks ago and did a personal best in the GP of 79% (at Burrows Court Farm in May)! Only a small show, but he felt great."

Unfortunately Wilton did not compete in Compiègne nor Le Mans and was therefore not considered for the team.

Retirement

The Cotswolds based Wilton announced the retirement of Super Nova via Horse and Hound although the decision was already made over the summer.

“I was hoping that he was going to have the chance to shine one more time representing Team GB in 2021, but it was not to be," Wilton told Horse and Hound. "At 18 years young, he will now enjoy a quieter life spending the majority of his time doing what he loves most: hacking and eating grass! Neville has been my horse of a lifetime and has given his owner Jen Goodman and myself the most amazing journey with memories that will stay with us forever. It’s been a blast!”