Lara Butler's Career-Making Rubin al Asad Passed Away

Dressage

Great Britain

Lara Butler's career-making Grand Prix horse Rubin al Asad has passed away. He was 24 years old.

Rubin al Asad was a Hanoverian gelding by Rubin Royal out of Wandergirl (by Wanderbusch II x Lemon Tree x Akzent II). He was bred by Hans-Hermann Wiemer in Germany.

Helen Langehanenberg

Originally owned by Roger van Engelant, the bright bay Rubin al Asad made his show debut in Germany as a 4-year old under Helen Langehanenberg. He competed in a few local riding horses classes in 2006, before moving up to L-dressage horse level in 2007. A year later he moved up to M-level and by 2009 Helen had the gelding working at small tour level. Langehanenberg last competed him in February 2009.

Lara Griffith-Butler

Rubin al Asad sold to Wilfried and Ursula Bechtolsheimer for their daughter Laura to ride, but the horse found a permanent match with assistant rider Lara Griffith (now Butler).

Lara and "Rufus" made their national show debut at small tour level at Addington Manor in the spring of 2012. In 2014 they moved to medium tour level and in 2015 they did their first national Grand Prix. Their international show debut at Grand Prix level was at the CDI Wellington in February 2015. That year they spent the winter-spring competing at the Global Dressage Festival and clocked their first international victory two weeks later in the Grand Prix Special in Wellington.

In 2018 the pair became British Grand Prix Champions. They consistently competed at international Grand Prix level through 2020. They represented Great Britain at Nations' Cups in Hagen, Rotterdam, Aachen, Geesteren, Hickstead and Compiegne. Their last CDI was the 2020 CDI Keysoe last October where they placed second in the Kur with 77.455%.

Retirement

Butler and Rubin al Asad did their final competition at the 2020 British Dressage Championships, which were staged indoors due to covid in December 2020. They placed 7th in the Grand Prix and 6th in the Kur to Music.

On 23 April 2021 Butler announced the horse's official retirement from sport. He spent his retirement at Ursula Bechtolsheimer's yard. On 8 October 2026 Rufus was put to sleep.

"After several years enjoying being the king of the field it was time for us to say goodbye," Lara explained. "We grew together and got better and better as the years went on…
He was the first horse that I have produced to Grand Prix and he has taken me to so many places that I never believed would be possible."