Mai Tofte Olesen's Rustique Passed Away

Dressage

Denmark

Mai Tofte Olesen's career making dressage horse, Rustique, has passed away. He would have turned 21 in spring.

Rustique was a 2002 born Danish warmblood gelding by Heslegards Rubin out of Wibi H (by Midt West Ibi Light x ). He was bred by Anne Dueholm Nielsen.

Anita Sørup

Rustique made his competition debut as a 6-year old in 2008 under Anita Sørup.

She competed the horse only twice, in October 2008 and in February 2010.

Mai Tofte Olesen

In 2010 Rustique moved into the table of Mai Tofte Olesen as an 8-year old.

The new duo made its show debut in March 2011 at DLA level and a year later did their first Prix St Georges tests. In 2014 they went down the centerline for their first national Intermediaire II tests. An almost two year break from showing followed and in January 2016 the pair did its firs national Grand Prix.

Owned by Birgit Meister and Mai and Henrik Tofte Olesen, the grey gelding made his international show debut in May 2016 in Aalborg, winning the Grand Prix with 71.040%.

Five Year CDI Grand Prix Career

Career highlight at the 2017 World Cup Finals

It was the start of the 5-year international Grand Prix career in which they competed in 12 different countries.

Their career highlight was an 11th place at the 2017 World Cup Finals in Omaha (USA). They also represented Denmark at Nations' Cups in Ypaja, Compiegne, and Falsterbo. They won classes at several CDI's, such as at Kristiansand, Lillestrom, and Aalborg.

Their last international was the 2020 CDI Doha, where they were unfortunately eliminated from the Grand Prix. After Doha, Olesen rode Rustique in one more national show at the CDN Frederiksværk in May 2021, where they scored 68.967%.

The pair was trained by Anne Grethe Tornblad. They were 6th at the 2016 Danish Dressage Championships and 9th at the 2018 Danish Grand Prix Championship.

Retirement

Rustique was retired from sport at age 19 in 2021.

On Sunday 5 February 2023, Olesen announced the passing of her gelding on Instagram. He was about to turn 21 in spring.

"Rustique has now departed for the eternal pastures," Mai wrote. "The arthritis in his croup became too painful towards the end. Rustique was the horse of our lives! He has been a very important part of our family for 13 years. He loved life as a show horse. The bigger the event, the better. We traveled with him to 12 different countries and the World Cup Final in Omaha USA 2017 was the crowning glory. He was a very brave horse, a true competitor who always gave every last effort. He was a natural performer, very self-aware with a big personality.

Rustique had spent his retirement in the paddock with stable mate Horsebo Amarone (by Schwadroneur x Wendekreis - born 1997).

"In all of his time with us he had his best friend, Horsebo Amarone, by his side both in the stable and in the paddock. Together the two have now moved on, leaving the rest of us with a profound longing," said Mai. "I feel great gratitude for having had these two horses in my life. We will miss them forever."

The 2020 CDI Doha was the last internationak for Mai Tofte Olesen in her career, so far. She has continued competing at national level. In 2022 she showed the now 9-year old Almroths Santiago (by Sezuan x Quaterback) at small tour level.