Helene Le Gallais' Unique Retired from Sport

Dressage

France

French youth rider Hélène Le Gallais has ridden her last show on her career starting youth riders' horse Unique. The 20-year old KWPN gelding has taken her from junior riders to senior Grand Prix level and now will be retired from sport.

Unique is a Dutch warmblood gelding by Olivi out of Percy (by Jetset D x Rossini). He is bred by G. Van de Heide in The Netherlands.

From Juniors to Grand Prix

Le Gallais began her show career on the 9-year old Unique in March 2010 in France and just two months later had their international show debut in Compiegne. That year they placed seventh at the 2010 French Junior Riders Championships.

In 2011 they moved to Young Riders level and were selected on the French team for the European Young Riders Championships in Broholm (DEN), where they gained experience. At the 2012 European Young Riders Championships in Berne (SUI) they improved their score and ended up 11th in the Freestyle finals with 69.425%.

After a year absence from the CDI arena, they returned in 2014 at Under 25 Grand Prix level and competed in the U25 classes through 2017. They were France's sole representative at the inaugural European Under 25 Championships in Hagen (GER) in 2016, where they were 33rd in the short Grand Prix test. They were the 2016 and 2017 French Under 25 Champions.

The FEI has officially spelled Le Gallais' name as "Legallais", so all international show results are found under this name.

Swan Song

Le Gallais and Unique at the 2016 European U25 Championships

Le Gallais rode her last international on a 17-year old Unique as a senior at the CDI Le Mans in February 2018, finishing 9th in the Kur. Since then, they continued to show lightly at national level.

Dressprod reporter that last weekend at the national show in Saint Lo they rode their final Grand Prix test on 6 November. They posted 63.130% to place 10th.

The 29-year old Le Gallais, who works as a lawyer in Paris, will continue her sport career with the 6-year old KWPN gelding Kick Off van de Heernes (by Everdale x Son de Niro), which she discovered in the 2018 Van Olst Sales.