Sue-Ellen Lovett and the enormous 18.3hh warmblood Johno.
© 2CPhotography/Prue Crichton
By Equestrian Life
Two-time Paralympic dressage rider Sue-Ellen Lovett is starting the search for her next dressage dance partner after her beloved horse Johno was put to sleep last week.
The giant 18.3hh Hanoverian gelding took Sue-Ellen to new heights in her riding career and played a massive part in her everyday life.
However, Johno had been battling the awful, degenerative disease of Equine Shivers for a while and Sue-Ellen was forced to make the hard decision to let him go peacefully two days after Easter.
The partnership between the 11-year-old warmblood, bred by Kinnordy Stud, and his ‘blind chick’ was truly special, and Sue-Ellen released a book in May last year.
The book, Johno and the Blind Chick, shares Sue-Ellen’s heart-warming story about love, achievement, overcoming adversity and daring to dream through the eyes of her beloved horse.
Paying tribute to him on their Facebook page, Johno and the ‘Blind Chick’, Sue-Ellen wrote, “Right from that first moment, you made something glow so brightly in my heart. I can’t even call it Love At First Sight – because I have never seen you! But your image burns so brightly in my heart and my mind.
“I have lost my best friend and God has just received a beautiful angel. Run free my beautiful friend. Be at peace. I love you forever, I will miss you forever.”
Sue-Ellen with friend Kathy Drury Klien and Johno.
© 2CPhotography/Prue Crichton
Now, as the next step in her riding career beckons, Sue-Ellen is faced with the task of finding another horse… not to take Johno’s place, but to continue the work that he can no longer do.
In less than three months, Sue-Ellen will be undertaking the exciting opportunity of presenting at Equitana in Melbourne… but she needs a four-legged partner to help.
“I’m seriously looking for a new dance partner firstly to accompany me at Equitana in our two presentations. And secondly as a life partner,” she wrote on Facebook.
“I desperately need to move forward otherwise I am going to get consumed by the darkness – I need to move forward and find a new dance partner and show our ability not disability.”
So, what is on Sue-Ellen’s wishlist for her next horse?
THE HORSE THE BLIND CHICK NEEDS IS:
• At least medium level dressage, with the potential to go FEI
• AMAZING temperament
• Confident when out with crowds ie: Equitana
• 3 good paces
• Happy to look after a horse that has arthritic changes
• I’m not put off by an older horse
• Colour, Size, Breed – will consider all options
• Will get pampered and looked after every day, for the rest of its life.
• Needs to be available asap – so we can start training together for Equitana, 2.5 months (No pressure! !!!)”
If you know a horse who would make a suitable candidate to be dancing with this star, get in contact with Sue-Ellen through her Facebook page here.
Check out an article about Sue-Ellen’s journey with Johno and their book in EQ Life’s July 2020 issue here.
To learn more about the disease ‘Equine Shivers’, see an article by Kentucky Equine Research here.
Equestrian Life offers its deepest sympathies to Sue-Ellen and her team for Johno’s passing and wishes them the best of luck in finding her next mount.
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