n an emotional Facebook statement, Germany’s Bettina Hoy announced today that her two-time four-star winner and Athens Olympics partner Ringwood Cockatoo had been euthanised at the age of 27. 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. 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. “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.”
