French Junior Team Horse Caporal de Massa Sold to British Junior Rider

Wed, 04/26/2023 - 10:32
Great Britain
Mathilde Juglaret and Caporal de Massa at the 2022 European Young Riders Championships :: Photo © Astrid Appels

Mathilde Juglaret's French Junior Team horse Caporal de Massa has been sold to Great Britain. The Lusitano will continue his sport career under British junior rider Mette Dahl.

Caporal de Massa is an 11-year old purebred Lusitano by Rieto out of Vexame SPP (by Xaqiero). He is bred by Sylvain Massa.

Serre & Massa

Arnaud and Anne Sophie Serre have been riding for French based Lusitano and Lusitano crossbred horse breeder Sylvain Massa for years.  Recently the couple moved to its own facility in France, but maintained strong ties with Massa who supplied them with a consistent string of horses.

Anne Sophie's daughter Mathilde Juglaret was matched to Caporal de Massa in 2020. She rode him to a 7th placce in the Kur to Music finals at the 2020 European Junior Riders Championships in Pilisjaszfalu. In 2021 hey were 10th in the Kur finals at the European Junior Riders Championships in Oliva Nova, Spain. The pair also won the 2021 French Junior Championships

In 2022 Juglaret and Caporal achieved career highlights by winning the Kur to Music at the 2022 CDIO-JR Hagen in Germany. At the 2022 European Junior Riders Championships in Hartpury, they were fourth in the individual test and won the bronze medal in the Kur

Sudden End of Partnership

The Serre family recently sold Jojoba de Massa to American dressage rider and big time sponsor Akiko Yamazaki and shortly afterwards, Sylvain Massa decided to pull Caporal de Massa away from Mathilde to be sold as well. 

It didn't take long for the Grand Prix level trained Lusitano to find a new owner and rider. 

Mette Dahl

Mette and Caporal
British Olympian Fiona Bigwood acquired the grey for her daughter Mette Dahl to ride.

The 16-year old Dahl has been a British youth team rider both on ponies and as a junior on horses. She first represented Great Britain on Florina at the 2021 European Junior Riders Championships in Oliva Nova, Spain, where she was 62nd place in the team test. The horse was pulled from further competition in Spain the next day. In 2022 she rode the grey pony George Clooney BS at the 2022 European Pony Championships in Strzegom, Poland, where they were fourth with the team and 11th in the Kur to Music Finals.

Another grey horse has now filled the ranks at Bigwood's farm, Caporal de Massa. 

"I will be doing juniors with him this year but I hope that he will carry on with me up the levels," Mette told Eurodressage. "He finds the Grand Prix work easy so he will hopefully be a good U25 horse as well. He is a lovely horse with so much scope and ability."

"Capo" arrived in the U.K. already a few weeks ago. On a daily basis Mette trains with her mom Fiona, but "I am hoping that Carl (Hester) will also help me from time to time. I am also very lucky to have massive support from my dad (Danish Olympian Anders Dahl)," Mette added with a smile.

Photos © Astrid Appels - private 

Related Links
Mathilde Juglaret Loses Ride on Caporal de Massa
Mette Dahl's British Junior Team Ride Florina Passed Away
British Team Pony George Clooney BS Sold
Mette Dahl Takes over Dad Anders' Danish Team Horse Selten HW for Children Competition
Dahl, Hughes, Kerslake, Burgess Win 2020 British Youth Riders Championships