Lyndal Oatley Withdraws from Paris Olympic Contention, Elvive Retired from Sport

Dressage

Australia

Australian Olympian Lyndal Oatley has pulled herself out of the race for Australian team selection for the 2024 Paris Olympics. She has announced the retirement of Elvive.

At the same time Lyndal also clarified that she will not be vying for a team spot with the younger Dante's Herzchen.

Elvive

Elvive is a 2009 born KWPN elite mare by Tuschinski out of Adonnee de Jeu (by Don Schufro x Cocktail). Under breeder Veronique Roerink, the mare competed in the young horse classes in The Netherlands and won bronze at the 2015 Dutch Young Horse Championships in Ermelo.

The Oatley family acquired the mare in 2017 as a successor for Sandro Boy and Diva. The former she competed at the 2012 Olympics in London and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Elvive was first competed at small tour level at the CDN Ankum in October 2017. The mare made her international show debut under Lyndal's husband Patrik Kittel at medium tour level at the 2018 CDI Cappeln. There were no shows in 2019 and the mare returned at Grand Prix level with Lyndal at the CDI Dorsten in September 2020.

2022 WCD Team Selected

Lyndal made her CDI debut on Elvive at the 2021 CDI Mariakalnok, where she won the Grand Prix and Special. They also competed in Compiegne but in June 2021 announced that they were not running for the Australian Olympic team selection for Tokyo, citing "the impact of Covid-19 has presented significant challenges and has placed constraints on our preparation."

In 2022 Lyndal and Elvive showed in Lier, Opglabbeek, and Compiegne, and Oatley was selected on the team with her but ended up swapping the mare for her second GP horse Eros for the 2022 World Championships in Herning. After a colic surgery Elvive returned to the arena in Hagen in April 2023 for another double win. Six months later they showed in Herning and Stuttgart.

The CDI Lier at the start of March 2024 was their last show. The mare did 12 CDI's in her career and 22 international tests.

Retirement

The German based Oatley posted today that she has decided to retire Elvive from sport.

"As a strong contender for this years Olympic team, I had high hopes for this mega talented mare," said Lyndal. "However the decision to move forward.. or not as fate has decided .. has unfortunately been a simple one. Elvive sustained an injury in the final moments before entering the arena in Lier for the Special, where she was in top form and was highly placed in the Grand Prix. Despite the teams best efforts we can not help her return to top sport."

Oatley continued, "Elvive made the team for Tokyo during the pandemic, but as a new mother the risk of being away from our daughter was too much, with both her parents in Olympic teams, so I opted to stay home. I sat with her after colic surgery last year hoping she would survive and being the fighter she is not only did that but also made her return to the competition arena for several placings at international level."

Dante's Herzchen

Lyndal and Elvive leaving the arena in Compiegne

Oatley only recently made her international GP debut on rising star Dante's Herzchen (by Dante Weltino x Hochadel). At the 2024 CDI Aachen Festival 4 Dressage she posted 70.304% in the Grand Prix.

"Elvive‘s stable companion Dante’s Herzchen will not be stepping up for her chance of Olympic team contention," said Lyndal. "At the young age of 10, this talented mare has an amazing future ahead and I want to give her the time to develop and nurture this process. I am very excited for her future and horses like her don’t come along very often in a lifetime and her welfare and best interests come first."