Valentina Strobl's Cypria F Passed Away

Austria

Austrian paralympian Valentina Strobl said goodbye to her junior rider's mount and first para horse, Cypria F. The mare was put to sleep on 25 March 2022.

Cypria F was a 19-year old Hanoverian mare by Contendro out of Ravienne (by Ritual). She was bred at Zuchthof Hanstedt

Jumper at the Start

She was first competed as as a 5-year old in Germany in A-level show jumping classes by Caroline Heinze and Elmar Lesch.

In 2009 Katharina Kopp rode her both in jumping and dressage at regional shows before Anna-Thea Folkmar Jakobsen took her up to jumping L-level

Cypria F sold to Roman Feichtner and as of 2011 Marinus Feichtner jumped her. In 2012 Elisabeth Feichtner competed her up to M-level in dressage

Austrian Junior Horse

Cypria F sold to Manfred Strobl in 2015 for daughter Valentina to ride.

The pair made its international show debut at junior level at the CDI Darmstadt, followed by a victory in Lamprechtshausen. In 2016 they showed at CDI's in Stadl Paura, Mariakalnok, Achleiten, and Vienna.

They were 6th at the 2016 Austrian Junior riders Championships.

Paralympic Switch

Valentina and Cypria at their CDI debut in Darmstadt

In 2014 Strobl was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, but continued to ride able-bodied dressage until 2019, when she switched to the paralympic discipline.

Cypria F made her CPEDI debut in Sopot in January 2020 at Grade V level and was nominated as the Austrian Paralympic team reserve horse for Tokyo. She went into quarantine in Aachen, but Valentina's number one ride, Bequia Simba, flew to Japan.

Hacking Accident

In the autumn of 2021, a month after her turn from Aachen quarantine, Cypria F was being hacked by friend. The mare spooked from cows, threw off the rider and bolted. It took an hour for her to be caught.

"She sustained severe cuts from fences she jumped through," Strobl told Eurodressage. "She also fell on Asphalt so she had bad abrasions. Since then she was retired in my home village and shared a field with two horses of a friend. Unfortunately, she has had recurring health problems since then, as she has never been able to fully recover from the accident and her shock."

On Friday 25 March, the mare's system collapsed and it was decided in her best interest to put her to sleep.

"This was definitely not the farewell to retirement as much as it was not the final farewell I wanted for her," said Valentina. "I owe "Pia“ my successful transition from pony to horses, as well as the start of my international show career as a junior rider. She has given me an incredible number of starts at great tournaments, countless victories, placings and championship titles."

She continued, "after my diagnosis in 2014, Pia gave me the biggest support. It was her cautious manner that made it possible for me to get back in the saddle. I actually owe her my entire riding Career and I will be forever grateful that our paths crossed."