Kristy Oatley’s Du Soleil retires

The Hanoverian gelding who took Australian dressage rider Kristy Oatley to an Olympics, World Cup Final and World Equestrian Games, has been retired...

Adele Severs

Published 7 Jun 2022

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Kristy Oatley and Du Soleil competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

© Eric Knoll

Kristy Oatley’s Du Soleil retires

By Equestrian Life

Du Soleil, the Hanoverian gelding who took Australian dressage rider Kristy Oatley to an Olympics, World Cup Final and World Equestrian Games, has been retired.

Kristy and the 18-year-old, by De Niro out of Capri Sonne (Caprimond), won the CDI4* Grand Prix and Freestyle with scores of 71.848% and 79.430% respectively at Wiesbaden in Germany, after which Kristy decided to call time on the horse’s impressive competition career.

“He was absolutely fabulous in the test, as he always is,” says Kristy. “I didn’t know during my test that it would be his last. I made the final decision before the prize giving,” she adds.

Kristy Oatley and Du Soleil scored 74.605% in the Grand Prix Special at WEG in 2018.

© Michelle Terlato

Kristy purchased Du Soleil in 2014 with the view to competing him at the 2016 Rio Olympics, a goal they achieved. In 2017 they contested the World Cup Finals in Omaha and finished sixth in the Freestyle with 76.995%, and then in 2018 they went to the World Equestrian Games in Tryon where they finished 12th in the Grand Prix Special on 74.605% (the Freestyle was cancelled).

The pair were qualified for possible FEI World Championship team selection in August, however Kristy made the decision to complete the horse’s career on a high note at Wiesbaden where their score of 79.430% was just shy of their Freestyle PB score of 79.840%.

We will all miss following Du Soleil in the international competition arena — but as Kristy says, she will miss him the most. Congratulations Kristy and ‘Düse’ on a truly amazing partnership and thank you for representing Australia so well on the world stage!