Codi Harrison's Katholt's Bossco Retired from Sport

Dressage

U.S.A.

American Grand Prix rider Codi Harrison has retired her career-starting Grand Prix horse, Katholt's Bossco, from sport.

Katholt’s Bossco is an 18-year old Danish warmblood by Blue Hors Don Schufro out of Katholt's Farceur (by Michellino x May Sherif). He is bred by Anette and Finn Kristensen in Denmark.

Auction Price Highlight

The liver chestnut was presented at the 2010 Danish Warmblood Stallion Licensing in Herning, but a minor veterinarian issue kept this colt from being licensed. In Herning he became the price highlight of the 2010 Danish Warmblood Stallion Auction, selling for 47,000 euro to Blue Hors stud.

Bossco moved to Blue Hors where the ride was allocated to Maria Anita Andersen. She premiered him in competition in May 2012 at LA level. They finished 4th in the consolation final at the 2012 Danish Warmblood Young Horse Championships in the 5-year old division. In 2013 Andersen rode him to a 12th place in the 6-year old consolation finals at the World Young Horse Championships in Verden. They won bronze at the 2013 Danish Young Horse Championships. She showed Bossco through april 2014.

In 2015 Bossco returned to the national arena at Prix St Georges level under Allan Grøn. They showed in three tests and were third each time.

American Young Riders Horse

Codi's trainer Lars Petersen, a Blue Hors alumni, scouted the 8-year old Bossco at Blue Hors for his student as her future Young Riders horse in the autumn of 2015.

At the 2010 Danish Warmblood Stallion Auction

Instead of buying a ready made horse, Codi got a green small tour horse which Lars taught her to produce to Grand Prix. Codi admitted to Eurodressage that she "struggled in her first year at Young Riders."

"Our first year out, the first couple shows I had a hard time getting above a 63% while trying to qualify," she admitted. "It was definitely more of a “me issue” than him, but it took me a long time to figure out how to get the warm up to transfer to the arena. The struggle was mostly internal; feeling like I wasn’t good enough for him, and then being able to turn things around. It was a great lesson to learn and that just because they feel lazy or cold in the ring, it was most likely my riding wasn’t being efficient enough."

She debuted him at Young Riders level in January 2016 at the Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge and had her CDI debut at YR level in March 2016. They were nominated on the team for Region 4 for the 2016 North American Young Riders Championships in Tryon, where they finished fourth in the individual test and 13th in the Kur.

In 2017 the pair showed extensively at Young Riders level in Wellington before heading back to the 2017 North American Young Riders Championships in Saugerties as part of Region 4/6 and were and fifth in the individual and kur.

"He was a great horse to teach me that less is truly more, and to soften my aids and seat," Codi explained about her time at Young Riders level. "I had a subconscious habit to over ride and shut him down in the competition ring. When it came to NAYC itself. We did ok! But in general, I struggled to be able to produce the same quality we had at home."

Grand Prix Champion

Bossco went above and beyond and became a competitive Grand Prix horse for Harrison. As of 2018 Codi began working professionally for Petersen and together they trained Bossco to Grand Prix level.

With Maria Anita Andersen at the 2013 WCYH

The pair debuted in the Inter II in January 2018 at the Gold Coast Opener and made their international Under 25 at the end of the same month. They won the 2018 U.S. Under 25 Championships. They showed in the U25 division through the spring of 2021, clocking 10 international wins.

In October 2021 Harrison moved into the senior ranks, showing in Ocala, followed by a busy 2022 show year.

Their highlight year was in 2023 in which they represented the USA at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, winning team gold and finishing 6th in the Kur. They concluded the year by winning the 2023 U.S. Grand Prix Champion's title at Lamplight.

“I never expected him to be a grand prix horse, yet here we are," Harrison said upon scoring a personal best of 70.66% in the Grand Prix Special at the 2023 CDI Wellington. "He’s the same every day no matter what; he’s unflappable. We take him in the field, we go over little jumps, we go on hacks and he goes down the canals. He’s a really good boy with a good heart and a good head — the horse of a lifetime."

Their last show year was in 2024, starting with two fifth places at the CDI Wellington in January. However, in their CDI Grand Prix in March - their last competition - they were excused from the test.

Retirement

In the spring of 2024 Harrison retired her horse from sport.

"While he still felt happy to be working and quite fit, his age and size started to catch up with him," Codi told Eurodressage. "Bossco took me places in my career that I could only dream of, from struggling through our young rider years, to eventually helping me earn a spot on the US Pan American team. It was never intended that he would become a Grand Prix horse, let alone a team horse."

Bossco still has a semi active life, being lightly ridden, serving as a schoolmaster, while also enjoying time off.

"He is still enjoying a job, I occasionally teach on him," said Codi. "t’s been a rewarding process to watch a horse I know better than the back of my hand, be able to give people some of their “firsts” when it comes to feeling the Grand Prix movements. For now he will stay with me and continue to do light work and enjoy being pampered until he tells me he’s ready to be done. And when the time comes, I will find him the biggest, greenest pasture for him to have the real retirement he deserves."