Stéphane Landois and Chaman Dumontceau. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Some bittersweet news about one of the most incredible stories from the eventing space this year. You may recall the horse Ride for Thais Chaman Dumontceau, a horse piloted at the Paris Olympics by Frenchman Stéphane Landois. Stéphane rode in honor of Chaman Dumontceau’s former rider, Thaïs Meheust, who passed away in a cross country accident in 2019. Though Thaïs sadly never realized her own dream of competing at the Olympics, Stéphane was able to realize this dream in tribute at the Paris Olympics, where they finished 14th individually and in silver as a team for France. Now, the 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding will move to a new rider, a yet-to-be-revealed young British rider. “We felt the need to close this book that is both so painful, so strong, so extraordinary and so paradoxical. Chaman is sold to England and will continue under the saddle of a young rider,” ownership group The Thaïs Meheust Foundation said in a story on An Eventful Life. You can read more about the story and the sale here.
News & Reading
Recap the best of 2024 with the help of the USEA in their annual look-back! Take a trip down memory lane for some of the top highlights from an action-packed season here.
Also recapping their year is The Chronicle of the Horse, where horse welfare has been, deservedly, top of mind in 2024. Check out some of the most-viewed stories on COTH here.
A sweet story of how a “grinch” of an OTTB helped give his amateur rider’s dreams wings — don’t miss it here.
Get to know Tina Cook’s daughter and rising eventing star Isabelle Cook in this sitdown interview with Horse & Hound.
Sponsor Corner: Stable View
Want to head into 2025 in a proper head space? Don’t forget that yoga, meditation, and sound baths can be found at Stable View! For just $30 a person, you can sign up for a December 30 sound bath session and yoga class at Stable View. Sign up here.
Video Break
Some wise words from Tamie Smith from her recent webinar with Horse Illustrated, which you can watch in full here.
