Swiss A-team Grand Prix rider Melanie Hofmann has retired her number one Grand Prix horse Cazzago CH from sport. The horse did his final show in Arezzo last weekend.
The 18-year old Swiss warmblood was competing at the 2015 CDI Arezzo on Friday 5 June, where his rider Hofmann felt the horse not being 100% fit. On the diagonal in the Grand Prix test she noticed an unlevelness.
"I have always said that when I no longer have the same feeling, I'll quit straight away," Hofmann told Pferdonline.ch. "Now the day has come. He has an amazing willingness to go, so it's often difficult with him to feel the difference. I was not sure if he was irregular but also in the piaffe I felt he wasn't on form. In that test I decided that this was his last Grand Prix."
Hofmann withdrew from the freestyle and took Cazzago home.
Cazzago is a 1997 born Swiss warmblood by Campari M out of Kallia (by Kolyma). He was bred by Robert Weber and long-time owned by the Grunder family. Hofmann took over ownership as she left Grunder's employment in 2011.
Hofmann started competing Cazzago as a 5-year old in 2002. The pair made the transition to Grand Prix in 2009 and finished 5th at the Swiss Championships. In 2012 they won the bronze medal at the nationals. The pair represented Switzerland at the 2013 European Championships in Herning and 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen.
Hofmann returned to working for Hans Grunder two months ago.
Source: Pferdonline
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