One Big Thing: Retirement In Place for Two Greats
Robin Godel proves his class once again with his biggest career win so far. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Horse & Hound announced the retirements of two European greats this week: Robin Godel’s seven-time senior championship partner Grandeur De Lully CH, and Alice Casburn’s homebred 5* partner Topspin.
Robin Godel has retired his great campaigner Grandeur De Lully CH from eventing, following his top-25 finish for the Swiss team at the eventing World Championships in Aachen last week.
The 18-year-old has been an incredible stalwart of top-level sport, contesting seven senior championships since 2018 – the 2024 Olympics, the 2018, 2022, and 2026 World Championships, and the 2019, 2021, and 2023 Europeans. “I’m so lucky to have had him in my career and the same for the Swiss team,” said Robin. “I don’t think I will have another horse like that. He’s been so constant, he was never injured and anything, and was always clear on the cross-country.”
Robin rode Grandeur De Lully CH at the 2017 young rider Europeans, then he was his first senior championship horse. “Without him, I wouldn’t be here today,” said Robin on Sunday (16 August), meaning that Grandeur De Lully has been responsible for so much of his career as well as the fact he was riding him at the World Championships.
Another 18-year-old FEI retiree, Alice Casburn’s star home-bred eventer Topspin is “happy, healthy and enjoying life in his field” – and will be back in work this autumn to enjoy an active semi-retirement. The combination’s last event was the first under-25 World Championships (22-26 July), at which they were in the lead after the cross-country but Topspin was withdrawn before the final trot-up.
The pair grew up together; Alice was six years old when Topspin, a second-generation home-bred, was born and they climbed the eventing ladder as a team. Alice was just 19 years old when she contested her first five-star with the gelding, at Pau 2021, where they jumped double clear. That was the first of 10 five-star starts for the duo. “I never expected to do Pau in 2021, so I’m coming out with an open mind and anything is possible,” Alice told H&H in an interview at the end of that year.
In a very open and transparent announcement, Alice posted the following on Instagram on Sunday, August 18:
The post below was written in Millstreet, when everything was still very raw. I planned on posting, but chickened out numerous times. But it’s important to be real and to acknowledge how much everyone’s support and concern has meant to me. I’m incredibly happy to say that Topspin and I are now in a very happy place
After a thorough check once we got home, I’m so pleased to say he is happy, healthy and enjoying life in his field, and he’ll return to work in November. Our chapter is going to look slightly different from here, but I’m so excited that he gets the semi-retirement he deserves, with lots of showjumping and fun outings. Hickstead Eventers Grand Prix… consider this our application. Whilst we could return to eventing, we felt that whilst his brain isn’t ageing, his body is. He deserves a competitive life with fewer physical demands, and I’m genuinely excited about what we might experience together doing just that.
So, the original statement, when everything was still very raw…
Topspin gave me one of his best rounds to date on Saturday, putting us in gold medal position going into the showjumping. Knowing your team is relying on you, whilst knowing deep down that your partner isn’t feeling 100% after cross-country, is not a decision I took lightly. Topspin has been part of my life for 18 years, since I was six. He owes me nothing, I owe him everything. So he came home to friends and a field full of grass.
Selfishly, I’m terrified. We’ve spent the past 10 years taking on the world and travelling to new places. I can’t remember a time when we weren’t preparing for our next adventure.
Topspin, my partner in crime. Thank you for proving that fairytales aren’t just for storybooks, and that you can never dream big enough. I feel so unbelievably honoured to have been your chosen person, and your trust in me is a privilege I will always be grateful for.
Neither of us was naturally brave. You never asked me to be fearless, and I never asked you to be either. But when we were together, you made me feel invincible, and that was enough to take us further than either of us could have imagined.
This isn’t the end of our story. Just the start of a different chapter
EN wishes both of these great partners a happy and well-deserved retirement chapter, and thank them and their riders for their service as great representatives of the sport.
Major International Events This Weekend
Bouckaert Equestrian HT International CCI4*-S (GA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map]
Saulieu Terre de Complet CCI4*-S (FRA): [Website] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring]
US Events This Weekend
Five Points HT (NC): [Website] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
Shepherd Ranch Pony Club HT II (CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map]
Huntington Farm HT & Area I Championships (VA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Volunteer]
Silverwood Farm HT (WI): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring]
Other Links and Reading
Training Tip of the Day
While this might hurt our feelings a bit… Martin Black explains in this Noelle Floyd episode why the pat you give after a good round is for you, and what the horse is asking for instead:
Go Eventing
While we were all cheering at Aachen, our equestrian friends were over in the neighboring sandboxes making their own history too:
