Mr. Medicott Officially Retired & Ringwood Cockatoo Passes Away at Age 27

Mr. Medicott with Olivia Dutton and Max Corcoran during his retirement ceremony. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Mr Medicott, who evented at the top level with three different riders, was officially retired in an emotional ceremony in Kalispell, Montana USA. At 19-years-old, Mr. Medicott, completed the 50th international competition of his career with Phillip Dutton’s daughter Olivia Dutton, jumping a clear show jumping round and winning a gold medal at the Adequan FEI North American Youth Championships.

The chestnut is by Cruising (ISH) out of a mare called Slieveluachra (ISH) by Edmund Burke (TB), best known as the sire of double Badminton winner Supreme Rock. His breeder Dr. Donal Geaney from Co. Kerry said “I had him till he was a 5 and he was campaigned by Francis Connors as a 4 year old and by Linda Fahey as a 5 year old before starting his international career with Frank Ostholt He was a quirky horse and I was delighted to go visit Frank Ostholt in 2009 after the Beijing Olympics. His name originally is “Crag Cave Slievelrachra” as my family have a cave in Kerry, and they called him “Cave” for short but they had a hard time trying to pronounce the rest of the name! I also had the pleasure of seeing him compete in the London Olympics in 2012 with Karen O’Connor”.

Mr Medicott won team gold for Germany with Frank Ostholt at the 2008 Olympics and also represented Germany at the 2010 World Equestrian Games. He was then sold to the US as a potential horse for the 2012 London Olympics with Karen O’Connor and after a fourth-place finish at Kentucky CCI4* and a win at Bromont CIC3*, he was selected for the Games. The pair finished finished ninth at the 2012 Olympics as the highest placed U.S. combination. He was named the 2012 USEA Horse of the Year and top the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) eventing rankings.

After Karen retired, a new syndicate was formed to purchase Mr Mediccott for Phillip Dutton to compete. He finished fourth at Pau CCI4* in 2013 with Phillip and was unfortunately sidelined by a series of injuries for the following two seasons. At 18 years old he finished fourth at Kentucky CCI4* to be named the USEF National CCI4* Champion.

Mr Medicott will return to Phillip’s base at True Prospect Farm in West Grove, Pennsylvania to start his well-earned retirement.

Ringwood Cockatoo & Bettina Hoy

In an emotional Facebook statement, Germany’s Bettina Hoy announced that her two-time four-star winner and Athens Olympics partner Ringwood Cockatoo had been euthanised at the age of 27 after suffering with spasmodic colic.

Ringwood Cockatoo enjoyed a long and illustrious career at the top level of the sport, winning ten times at the three-star level and twice at four-star, triumphing in the inaugural CCI4* at Luhmühlen in 2005, and at Pau in 2008. The gelding was named the top eventer in the 2006 World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH).

He finished ninth at the Athens Olympics in 2004, and helped his team to a bronze medal at the 2005 European Championships and a gold medal at the 2006 World Equestrian Games. In 2007, he would go on to claim the individual bronze at the Pratoni European Championships.

Ringwood Cockatoo a 1991 grey gelding by Peacock (FR) (TB) out of Baileys Folly (ISH). The breeder Hilary Greer from Co. Monaghan said “We bred him and sold him. He was a lovely foal with a great temperament, even showing it as a foal. We sold him to a man in Crossmaglen, who subsequently sold him to Michael Leonard where he got his name Ringwood Cockatoo. We kept his dam and bred many other foals from her.”

L-R: Nicholas Finnerty, Robert Greer, Lucinda Fredericks & Joe Walsh

The Irish Sport Horse was produced to two-star by Switzerland’s Nadine Sola-Perret, before being sold on. The Irish sport horse was originally bought for Bettina’s then husband Andrew, but they “did not get on” so Bettina was offered the ride.

“It is with a very heavy heart that I write this post,” read the statement. “Ringwood Cockatoo decided today that it was time for his last big journey. He gave me the proudest moment of my sporting career and although I don’t have the medal to prove it, to me he will always be the Olympic champion. RIP Cockatoo. “My biggest thank you goes to Claire Llewelyn, who gave him the most wonderful time and home when he retired from the international circuit.”