French Team Horse Riwera de Hus Passed Away

Dressage

France

Riwera de Hus, a French Team horse from 2012 till 2014, has passed away. She was 24 years old.

Riwera was a 2001 born Oldenburg mare by Welt Hit II out of Riconess (by Noble Roi xx x Figaro). She was bred by Rolf Martens

Oldenburg Elite Mare

The bright bay mare competed as a 3-year old at the 2004 Oldenburg Elite Mare Show in Rastede, where she finished 20th in the Brilliant Ring and was named elite mare.

She sold at the Oldenburg Elite Auction in Vechta with the name "What Joy" for 150,000 euro to Austrian Elisabeth Max-Theurer, who later on resold her to French investor Xavier Marie of Haras de Hus in Petit Mars, France.

French Team Horse

The bay mare became the career-making horse for French rider Jessica Michel.

The pair made its national show debut in France in 2007 and went on to win 2007 French Young Horse Championships and place fifth in the consolation finals at the 2007 World Young Horse Championships in Verden.

At the 2007 World Young Horse Championships

In 2010 they showed at national small tour level and won the French Championships, while in 2011 they won the French medium tour championship. They made their international show debut at Grand Prix level in September 2011 in Saumur, scoring 65.532%.

The pair was flagged by French team trainer Jan Bemelmans for having team potential and in 2012 they did the CDI's in Salzburg, Drachte, Vejer, Vilamoura, Vidauban, Saumur, Wiesbaden, Lingen and Aachen to gain mileage and experience as Riwera was also Michel's first GP horse. They made it to the Olympics in London, where they went through to the Grand Prix Special after a 70.410% in the Grand Prix. In the Special they placed 31st with 68.810%. They won the 2012 French Grand Prix championships.

Michel and Riwera went on to represent France at two more major championships. At the 2013 European Championships in Herning they were 29th in the Special with 67.619%, while at their last international in their career as a combination, the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen, they finished 60th in the Grand Prix with 67.086%.

Retirement

After a short career at high performance level, she was retired at the end of 2014 at age 13. She did two more regional tests with apprentice Pauline Delaunay at amateur elite level and then became a broodmare.

She produced several foals, including Soudan de Hus (by Soliman) the 2016 born Jaguar de Hus (by Jazz), the 2018 born Dante de Hus (by Don Juan de Hus) and the 2019 born Jesstar de Hus (by Don Juan de Hus), who sold as a foal to Michel and passed away in 2024 following a lethal infection, and the 2000 born Kappa de Hus (by Danone).

Yesterday, Jessica Michel, who left Haras de Hus in November 2024 after Marie decided to close the doors of yard, confirmed the passing of Riwera.

"Having to leave you last November was already a test of indescribable pain. It wasn't my choice... but an obligation to leave, and leave you there alone broke my heart," she wrote. " I've been carrying this feeling of abandonment like a huge weight. Today, your departure is the end of an extraordinary story and friendship. You had character, you knew what you wanted, our combination actually formed over several years to then be unstoppable till day you decided you were done. A story of trust, respect, victories and shared dreams. But above all, it's a story of unconditional love. Not being able to be by your side in your final moments leaves me with a huge extra guilt, a wound that will not heal. The sadness of your absence is equal to everything you've been: infinite."