Claudio Castilla's Alcaide Retired from Sport

Dressage

Spain

Spanish team horse Alcaide, Claudio Castilla's number one Grand Prix horse in the barn, has been retired from competition sport.

Alcaide is a 17-year old Lusitano by Lobito out of Paloma (by Novilheiro). He is bred by Oliveira Martins and is owned by Claudio Castilla in partnership with Yeguada la Perla.

Claudio Castilla Ruiz

Alcaide was partnered with Spanish rider Claudio Castilla Ruiz more than a decade ago and they made their national show debut in 2011.

The horse brought Claudio triumph and consolation in trying times. One week after losing his Grand Prix horse Jade de Mv in September 2011, Claudio won the 2011 Spanish Young Horse Championships on the 6-year old Alcaide.

Their international show debut was in 2013 at small tour level at the CDI Madrid and at the 2014 CDI Barcelona they competed in the medium tour, winning two times out of four starts.

In May 2014 they made the transition to Grand Prix level and over the years continued to improve their scores. Alcaide became known for spectacular piaffe-passage work.

Spanish Olympic Team Horse

In 2016 Castilla fulfilled a life-long dream and rode at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where they were 38th in the Grand Prix with 69.814%. The

They went on to represent Spain at the 2017 European Dressage Championships in Gothenburg, where they posted 69.229% (28th) in the Grand Prix. At the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon they made it into the Special and were 13th with 74.103%.

Their career highlight followed at the 2019 European Championships in Rotterdam, where they qualified to the freestyle finals and mesmerized the crowds with their Kur. They finished 12th with 77.846%.

They were multiple medalists at the Spanish Dressage Championships. They were fourth in 2016 and won silver in 2017, 2019 and 2021. They pulled out of the freestyle in 2018 after placing second twice in the previous two rounds.

Tokyo Attempt

Alcaide not always appeared as crisp clear in the rhythm and his health had to be managed well, which meant that at the end of his sport career he only did a minimum amount of shows: 3 CDI's in 2019, none in 2020.

The pair made a big come back to the arena at the final Spanish Olympic team qualifier in Grote-Brogel, Belgium, where they posted 73.978% in the Grand Prix to placed second. Their spot on the team for Tokyo was secure, but unfortunately they had to make the difficult decision to withdraw before the flight to Japan as his health was not optimal.

Alcaide has not returned to the arena since Grote Brogel.

Retirement

Eurodressage inquired with Claudio Castilla, who confirmed that he had to made the "hard and difficult" decision of retiring his horse from sport.

"He looks very well, but our love for him is greater than the desire to compete together again," Claudio's wife Isabel told Eurodressage. "We would not forgive ourselves if he stayed in an arena or we exhausted him. The delay of the Olympics by a year, the management of the 2021 season, and the end (of his sport career) have been exhausting and devastating."

The Castilla's are looking forward to giving Alcaide the best retirement he deserves and will focus now on a sport career with younger horses.

"Now we are in a new chapter of our lives," said Isabel. "He is enjoying his retirement and Claudio is in Jerez with new projects. Two horses will debut in this CDI at Grand Prix; Lario and Hi Rico. So we keep working."