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Mare who won Olympic gold welcomes her first foal: ‘A sweet but protective mum’

Pippa Roome Pippa Roome

    • Tokyo Olympic eventing champion Amande De B’Neville has successfully given birth to her first foal, a colt – and they are both doing well.

    German rider Julia Krajewski announced the retirement of “Mandy” from eventing due to a hoof issue in January 2024 and then confirmed her pregnancy in June last year. The foal is by Cascadello I, who belongs to Mandy’s co-owner Professor Bernd Heicke.

    “Amande De B’Neville delivered a perfect little colt foal that looks exactly like her with the addition of some tail sparkles that also his father Cascadello I has,” said Julia. “Everything went very smoothly and she’s been taken care of perfectly, I did only watch via camera and cheered them on.

    “To no one’s surprise, she is a very dedicated and sweet but protective mum and we are all very happy and very proud of her.”

    The 15-year-old Selle Français mare, by Oscar Des Fontaines, helped Julia make history at the Tokyo Games, which were delayed a year by the Covid-19 pandemic, when the German rider became the first female event rider to claim the individual Olympic title.

    At the time, Mandy was relatively unknown; Julia had been ruled out of team contention with her previous top horse Samurai Du Thot when he lost an eye due to an infection in the spring of that year. The mare only came into focus as a team contender after she won Saumur CCI4*-L in April.

    Julia and Mandy franked their Tokyo form with individual silver and team gold at the 2022 World Championships, but the mare did not compete again after that due to the “undramatic hoof issue”, which did not improve despite various approaches to treatment.

    “While [the hoof issue] does not make her uncomfortable in normal life, there is a risk that it might get way worse when the pressure of performance is put on,” said Julia when the mare’s retirement was announced.

    “While I am very sad that I will not feel her incredible power, clever mind, scopey jump and sheer determination, which then sometimes peaked into this unreal connection I felt in Tokyo or Pratoni again, I am very much at peace with the decision to retire her now and hopefully have some nice foals from her in the future.”

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    Pippa Roome
    Pippa Roome

    H&H magazine editor and eventing editor
    Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
    Pippa Roome

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