Heath Ryan's Regardez Moi Passed Away

Dressage

Australia

Heath Ryan's career and business making dressage stallion Regardez Moi has passed away on 28 October 2024. He was 28 years old.

Regardez Moi was an Oldenburg stallion by Rubinstein out of Clothilde (by Consul x Donnerhall x Pik Bube I x Angelo xx). He was bred by Dr. Margaret Evans

Australian Record Setter, Yet No Team Horse

The beautiful black stallion became an Australian record setter and one of the most successful Grand Prix horses in the country, but he was never picked by the selectors for the Australian team for a major FEI Championship in his Grand Prix career between 2007 and 2016.

Imported into Australia in 1998 as a 2-year old old, Regardez Moi was initially owned by Heath Ryan in partnership with Margaret Evans.

"When Margaret died she gifted Regardez Moi to Rozzie and I in her will," Heath reminisced. "Margaret loved Regardez Moi and was responsible for choosing his name."

He became a winner from the start claiming titles in succession. In 2004 he was the Australian Medium Champion. In 2005 he was named the NSW State Small Tour Horse of the Year.

At the 2009 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas

He made his international Grand Prix debut in March 2007 at the CDI-W Melbourne, where he finished second. Two months later he won the CDI Sydney and claimed the freestyle win. He went on to achieve a record breaking 6th time freestyle win in Sydney.

In 2008 the pair produced consistent results on home turf but was not considered for Australian team selection, which led the Australian The Horse Magazine start a polemic about the pair's non-selection.

Regardez Moi's career highlight was representing Australia at the 2009 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas (USA), where they placed 10th in the Kur with 70.300%. That year the Oldenburg was ranked 7th in the world as a dressage stallion on the WBFSH-FEI World Breeding Rankings, the first time an Australian-based stallion made an impact on international rankings.

Returning home from Las Vegas Ryan had a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) on the flight back home which resulted in a stroke. This really impacted on Heath's performances and those of all of his competition horses. In 2010 they came back storming and won the Australian Grand Prix Championships by claiming four wins in the Inter II, Grand Prix, Special and Kur. Four years later, at the grand old age of 19 Regardez Moi won the 2014 Australian Grand Prix Championships.

At the 2013 CDI Sydney (Photo © Venhaus)

Regardez Moi continued to compete internationally through 2016 with the CDI Sydney in April 2016 being his last international. He was 20 at the time and scored 69.950% in his final freestyle to place third.

"Regardez Moi is the most winning Grand Prix dressage stallion in Australian history with more than 40 Grand Prix wins," said Ryan.

Retirement

Regardez Moi retired from sport but his name continued to ring in people's ears as a breeding stallion and sire. He stood up for stud at Ryan's yard in Heatherbrae, NSW.

He produced Grand Prix horses Utopian Cardinal (who won the 2016 Australian Grand Prix Championship), Mindarah Park Ramadan (Mary Warren), Rattle N Hum (Kaz Roe), Remember Me (Jessica Clark), BZ Rafael (Breanna Tillitz), Ronan R (Maddison Vallender), and Taittinger VDS (Dana Krause).

Final Farewell

This morning, Heath and Rozzie Ryan announced the passing of the king of their stables, Regardez Moi.

Iconic photo of Regardez Moi at the 2008 CDI Sydney

"For me he was everything - such a legend," said Heath. "He was iconic."

His best memories are of the World Cup Finals in Las Vegas. "It seems a life time ago that Regardez Moi and I would charge into the arena to the roar of spectators who were packed to the ceiling. Not even any standing room available! The crowd loved Regardez Moi and would start clapping before he even entered the arena. He was like a rock star and I didn’t think the times would ever end. Regardez Moi rocked from Queensland to the Sydney CDI and down to the Melbourne Internationals."

"Regardez Moi touched the souls of many people and for me was the highlight of my life. All around me Regardez Moi lives on and I was the luckiest person in the world," Heath concluded