Change to Spanish Pony Team After Sudden Passing of Ruby

Dressage

Spain

The Spanish team that will compete at the 2025 European Pony Championships has undergone a change after the sudden and tragic passing of team pony Ruby.

Asturian rider Beatriz Martínez-Hombre García-Bernardo lost her 18-year old Dutch Welsh pony Ruby on 18 June 2025. Lily Forado reported that the pony succumbed to a neurological illness.

Maurik's Roberto Cavalli, aka Ruby

Ruby was originally named Maurik's Roberto Cavalli. He was bred by Charles and Marlies van Oort in The Netherlands and was by Orchard Red Prince out of Maurik's Uptown Girl (by Leuns Veld's Elegant).

He was first competed in The Netherlands by Liz Bouman under the name Ruby. The pair made its international show debut in 2017 at the CDI Exloo. In 2018 the pair competed at the CDI's in Nieuw en St. Joosland, Sint-Truiden, Hagen, Exloo, and Waregem.

Ruby disappeared from the international scene to return in 2021 with Dutch rider Sytske de Jong, who showed him at one CDI (Grote Brogel) in September 2021. She put the pony up for sale in the late autumn of that year and sold it to Spain.

Ruby resurfaced on the show show scene in 2022 with Beatriz Martínez-Hombre García-Bernardo. She debuted internationally this year at the CDI's in Jerez and Camarma de Esteruelas to clinch a spot on the Spanish pony team for Le Mans.

Team Change

Unfortunately Beatriz had to deal with a big blow because of the sudden passing of pony.

Three reserves were appointed upon the initiam team announcement. They were Curro Ramírez Morales (Mon Amie), Arrietta Ruiz Goiri (Esferico), and Carla Visquert Rodríguez (Black Eye Peas).

It is the latter - Carla Visquert Rodríguez - who will fill in the slot. She will ride her pony Black Eye Peas, a 14-year old Weser Ems bred pony by Batida de Coco out of Daisys Dolly (by Heidbergs Nancho Nova x Brillant). Her pony was originally named Bunter Vogel. He was a licensed stallion in Germany and was first competes in Germany under the name Black Eyed Pease by Petra and Hanna Hinrichs. Hanna showed him at the 2016 and 2017 Bundeschampionate in Warendorf, where they were 9th in the 5-year old finals and 14th in the 6-year old consolation finals.

Visquert made her international debut on Black Eyes Peas in March 2025 at her first and only CDI so far, in Jerez de la Frontera. She trains with Eva Calvache.