Constance Menard to Ride for Israel

Dressage

French Dressage News

French Grand Prix team rider Constance Menard is to ride for her home country Israel as of 2009. The 41-year old Constance is trained by Michel Autran and has been a member of the French team since 2005.

"I wish to represent Israel because of the story of my familly and country. Israel is a young country, modern and dynamic," Constance Menard told Eurodressage. "I am proud to wear my new flag and I will do my best to represent Israel with honour and try to change the thinking of most of the people about my country: Peace and welfare!"

Menard has decided to claim the Israeli nationality from her mother, who descends from Jewish family from Central Europe. Most of Costance's ancestors got killed in the concentration camps, but her grand mother was saved by leaving Vienna in 1936. Her grandmother married her French grandfather in 1939 at the French Embassy in London. In 1983, Menard's mother and her brothers and sister moved to Israel and became Israeli citizens, while Constance stayed in France to develop her equestrian career.

Constance has been a Grand Prix rider since 2001. Aboard the Guelderland mare Lianca, she became member of the French team in 2005 and finished seventh with the team at the 2005 European Championships in Hagen, the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, and the 2007 European Championships in Turin. She was a reserve member to represent France at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong.

French chef d'equipe Alain Franqueville has been notified of Menard's nationality change. "Mr Franqueville knew all about my double nationality and understood my change. We are still in contact and I must say that he has been a super chief for the French team during these last years. I want to thank him a lot for all."

Menard hopes to ride her first international show under the Israeli flag at the 2009 CDI Saumur in April.

Photo copyrighted: Private Menard