Julia Chevanne's Olympic Ride Calimucho Passed Away

Dressage

France

French Grand Prix rider Julia Chevanne has lost her career making horse, Calimucho. The horse passed away at age 29.

Calimucho was a 1992 born Hanoverian gelding by Cavalier out of Magrita (by Matrose x Gralsritter x Senator). He was bred by Hans von der Decken.

Introduced to dressage by Françoise Brieussel, the now 45-year old Julia Chevanne-Gimel trained with Georges Fincke and Andy Booth in her time on Calimucho.

Chevanne purchased the recently gelded Calimucho as a 2-year old together with Frans Hemeryck. On transport from Germany to France he injured himself and almost spent a month in the equine clinic in Belgium to recover.

Double Olympian for France

They made their national show debut in France in 2000 and their international show debut was in 2003. After winning the French Grand Prix Champion's title that year she was selected on the French team for the 2003 European Dressage Championships in Hickstead, where she finished 37th. The pair represented France at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens as an individual and finished 16th in the Grand Prix Special.

A long break from international sport followed due to an injury, but the pair returned in 2007 and after competing at the CDI's in Stadl Paura, Saumur, Ovieda, Aachen and Pompadour competed at the 2007 European Dressage Championships in Turin, where they were 49th in the Grand Prix (62.167%). They also reclaimed the French Grand Prix Champion's title that year. After a good season in 2008 they made it to their second Olympics in Hong Kong, where they were 31st in the Grand Prix with 63.250%.

Julia and Calimucho at the 2004 Oympics in Athens

Chevanne-Gimel and Calimucho rode their last season in 2009, competing at one CDI in Saumur, where they posted 73.000% in the Kur to Music. The pair was selected to represent France at the 2009 European Dressage Championships in Windsor, but withdrew due to an injury. He was retired from sport shortly afterwards.

Julia continued her international career with Luciano. Julia's last CDI start dates back to 2016 on Peat (by Carano x Michellino) after which she moved to Belgium briefly, but returned to France in 2017.

Long Retirement

Calimucho spent his 12-year retirement in Normandy and passed away at the beginning of June.

"He passed peacefully in the fields of Mrs Patural in Normandy," Chevanne told L'Eperon. "I'm enormously grateful to her for the good care she has given Cali since his retirement at age 19. He was a fighter, he had an incredible personality and his intelligence was both his strong point and his weak point. He learned everything very quickly, the good things but also the bad things! He represents a lot of good times spent with my mother, my trainers, I made extraordinary encounters thanks to him, he is the horse that will have marked my life the most."