Mary Hanna's Port Said Passed Away

Dressage

Australia

Olympian Mary Hanna said goodbye to her retired Grand Prix horse Port Said. He was 30 years old.

Port Said was a 1996 born Westfalian gelding by Phoennix out of Bmütenpracht (by Brentano II x Octavo xx). He was bred by Ludger Schulze-Tomberge.

Licensed Stallion

The dark bay was licensed at the 1998 Westfalian Stallion Licensing in Munster-Handorf.

He stood up for stud for one season in 1999 and has a crop of offspring born in 2000. Seven of those offspring are registered with the German equestrian federation for sport or breeding.

Port Said was first competed in Germany in 1999 by Ludger Knapmöller. He rode him in the riding horse tests through August 2000. As of 2001 Sandra Endres climbed on board to show hum at L-level for one season.

He was gelded to be focused on sport.

Mary Hanna

Port Said was based at Hof Kasselmann and schooling at small tour level when Mary Hanna purchased him in 2004. The horse moved to Statene Park in Australia.

The duo made its international Grand Prix debut in 2007 in Melbourne and competed in Sydney and Toowoomba before heading to Europe for the winter; where they showed in Odense in November 2007.

In February 2008 Australia won a team spot for the Olympics in Hong Kong at the "Regional Olympic Dressage Team Assessment" in Sydney

In an attempt to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games, Hanna competed two horses in 2008: Rambo and Port Said. The latter she showed at CDI's in Hagen, Wiesbaden, Lingen and De Steeg. The Australian Olympic team selection caused an uproar, stirred up by Australian equestrian journalist Chris Hector of The Horse Magazine. In the end Heath Ryan (Greenoaks Dundee), Hayley Beresford (Relampago do Retiro) and Kristy Oatley (Quando Quando) went to Hong Kong.

Gitte Donvig

Mary passed on the ride on Port Said to her daughter, Gitte Donvig, who debuted the gelding in March 2009 in Werribee.

Donvig and "Portie" competed at international dressage shows in Australia through 2013, including three Pacific League World Cup Finals in Werribee, finishing fifth and seventh twice. They were reserve champions in the 2010 Australian Grand Prix Championship and fifth at the 2012 Australian Grand Prix Championships.

Retirement

Port Said's international career ended in Melbourne at the 2013 CDI-W with a fourth place in the Grand Prix on 62.979%. He remained in Donvig' care.

The gelding passed away on 21 July 2026 at the graceful age of 30.

"Today we lost a beautiful soul," Hanna stated. "Our lovely Port Said went to the other side peacefully. Together (with Gitte) they had great success in many Grand Prix competitions. After many years in the top sport, he had a beautiful and long retirement on our property along with Sancette and Calanta. It always gave me joy to see them standing under the old gum tree. Three beautiful old GP horses living the good life. In winter they went down to Kim Howes for their sea side holiday, and some warmer weather."