qualifier class at the World Cup Finals in Omaha in 2017, and the International Jumping Riders Club Top 10 Final at the end of 2017 in Geneva saw Kevin and Reveur winning the Rolex Trophy.
Reveur in 2018 There was talk of retirement when he put in a 20-fault round at the 2018 World Cup Final in April of this year, but, Kevin says, “That was a bit of a miscommunication. He is not a horse you can just turn out in a field. He was just given a break from competition, but was still ridden. He is sound, has no physical problems and is never lame. But when he gets rails, he is very upset and sulks in the stables for 30 minutes or so.” In July he was once again posting clear rounds at 1.60 meters in Aachen. At the WEG 2018, he was one of 13 horses to earn a check in the first speed
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class from 139 competition starters. In the second round, a course that saw only five horses go clear from 122 starters, he caught a rail for 4 faults, but still contributed to the French team’s advancement to the top ten and a hunt for a medal as well as qualification for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Unfortunately, the duo posted a 12-fault round in the third competition while teammates posted two 8-fault rounds and a 1-fault round, leaving them shy of their berth to Japan. “I had no expectations for the individual competition,” Kevin says. “Our job
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was for the team. After his break from competing, he did well in Aachen and Dublin, so the owners decided to send him here to help the team. Now, he will continue to compete, but we will slow down.” From three rounds, he posted the best time for the French in the first round and was only the drop score once. Does Malin wish she had kept the horse? “I am grateful to have had the
opportunity to produce the horse and sell him to one of the world’s best riders so he could have the career he deserved.” Regarding personality, Malin described him as friendly, affectionate and
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cuddly. Kevin says he is always the first one with his head out of the stall when you come into the stable and that he wants a sugar cube. “He is a pleasure to have in the stable. He is a clown and loves being with people. He has huge personality and the grooms all love him. This is the first time I have had such a deep bond with a horse. He has a special canter, a bit over his shoulder, but you have to respect that. He is quick to produce a jump and is quick in jump-offs. He can be really competitive. He knows his job and is aware of what is going on, but it is not a job to him; it is a pleasure. He’s a winner, but it is not just about winning to me; it is the small things that no one can see. He is a special horse and he has his way of making me happy.”
Conformation Analysis Given all of that, one would expect him to be built to jump and built to be sound. (Although the horse is not perfectly posed for the conformation photo (next page), one takes what one can get when the rider is kind enough to stop for a photo during his familiarization rounds.) Lumbosacral gap (LS) – His LS gap is not perfectly placed, but it is certainly within the athletic limits (less than 2 fingers or about 1.5”). This, plus his many competitions would explain the slight jumper’s bump he displays. Rear triangle – In keeping with his abilities, we find a triangle that is equal
Photos by Shelly Higgins/ MacMillan Photgraphy Warmbloods Today 65
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