Olivia Lagoy-Weltz' Rassing's Lonoir Retired from Competition Sport

Dressage

U.S.A.

Olivia Lagoy-Weltz has retired her number one Grand Prix horse, Rassing's Lonoir from competition sport.

Rassing's Lonoir is an 18-year old Danish warmblood gelding by Denoir out of Lorani (by Loran x Astaire). He is bred by Jan and Dorte Rassing in Denmark.

Denmark

In 2009 Anna Blomgren was a Danish team reserve on Lonoir for the 2009 World Young Horse Championships.

Lonoir returned to competition in 2011 as a 7-year old under Maik Kohlschmidt. The German rode him to a second place with 67.93% in an LA-test at a local show in Aalborg in May 2011.

That year Lagoy-Weltz discovered Lonoir at Helgstrand on a European shopping trip with her former employer, Kathy Priest, whom she had been working for since 2009.

They began competing at national level in 2012 and made their international debut at small tour level in 2014 in Wellington. That year they achieved six international victories out of 10 starts in Wellington and Devon.

Rise to Grand Prix

The pair stayed at small tour level in 2015 and vied for a Pan American Games team spot (mixed teams), travelling to Europe with a U.S. squad to compete in Munich and Achleiten. They were named the small tour traveling alternates for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.

At the beginning of the 2016 Olympic year they moved up to Grand Prix and competed in 12 CDI classes in Wellington, winning 6 and placing second in the other 6. Coached by Lars Petersen at the time, they also showed at the CDI Tryon but did not make the cut for the Rio Olympics.

In 2017, much change came about. Lagoy turned to U.S. team trainer Debbie McDonald for coaching and she partnered with sponsor Mary-Anne McPhail who bought a share into Lonoir . They won three classes in Wellington and made an impression at the 2017 CDIO Rotterdam, where they placed third with a personal best of 74.580%. They rode for America in the Nations' Cup in Aachen, where the team placed second.

In 2018 they pursued a team spot for the World Equestrian Games in Tryon and began the season by winning five CDI classes in Wellington. They were invited to the team selection trials in Europe and competed again in Rotterdam, Leudelange and Aachen, but ended up not making the team. instead they were the guinea pig at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon.

Break and Missed Opportunities

After Tryon a break of 1.5 years followed. A farrier had cut his hooves down drastically which resulted in painful feet and a long break from competition. They returned to the arena in January 2020 with their eyes on the World Cup Finals in Las Vegas. They clocked another six international wins but the outbreak of the corona pandemic saw the Finals being cancelled.

Lagoy had to set new goals and in 2021 she was pointing towards the World Cup Finals in Gothenburg and Olympic team selection with the 17-year old Lonoir. They won four classes and were twice second in the three Wellington CDI's they entered, posting a new personal best of 76.152% and earning their ticket to Gothenburg. Unfortunately the 2021 World Cup Final was again cancelled because of corona.

At the U.S. Olympic team selection event in Wellington in June, the pair just missed U.S. team selection by placing fifth with 75.17%. They were named non-travelling team alternates.

"Over the past few years I so wish the timing of things had been different," Olivia admitted to Eurodressage. "To have two World Cups canceled and the Olympics postponed was really career altering for us. He would have been at both World Cups for sure and possibly the Olympics as well. That for me was heartbreaking because I felt like he really deserved to be there. He is so talented and so special. Truly a heart horse for me."

The pair competed in its last competition in Wellington in March 2022, posting 70.283% in the Grand Prix and 73.635% in the Kur.

Retirement

Olivia Lagoy-Weltz and Lonoir in Wellington

Olivia has decided to retire the 18-year old Lonoir from competition sport.

"We decided that it was time for Lono to retire after this year," she told Eurodressage. "He's 18 and has done so much for me and was truly the most amazing horse."

When asked what her fondest memory is of Lonoir, Olivia replied, "Just being with this horse has been so incredible. He started out incredibly skittish and has turned into such a cuddly horse. In the beginning you couldn't touch the top of his head and he wasn't easy to bridle. Now he will bridle himself and ask you to scratch the insides of his ears. He has taken me around the world to some of the biggest venues multiple times. Getting to be on the road with your horse for months at a time is so special. You get to spend so much time with them and become so bonded."

Confidence Building

Olivia does not have a particular show in mind which she considered the greatest with Lonoir but instead appreciates the confidence building the most.

"I don't have a specific show that I think was the best but I think overall how much trust that this horse put in me is my greatest success of all," she said.. "From Rotterdam to Aachen, and Wellington under the lights he's really done it all. I've been paid a lot of compliments from people who interacted with him at Helgstrand for how far he's come because they knew what he was like from before. I used to have to always ride him with the doors to the arena closed because he would take me out of the arena. Not because he was evil but because he was scared. To take a horse like that, and go under the lights at Aachen is really special. For me he's truly been the horse of a lifetime."

Lonoir will follow Olivia in her wake, spending summers at Mountain Crest Farm and winters in Wellington.

"He loves all the action and to still be treated like a show horse," said Olivia about the retirement plans she has for Lonoir. "I might then send him to a good friend of mine who bought my old FEI horse Rifallino and has a beautiful farm in Tampa. Lono hates to be cold so he will not be staying home in the mud!"