French top rider Kevin Staut has to say goodbye to Exquis RB (Siwing de Triaval x Zirocco Blue VDL). The 12-year-old gelding is moving to Canada, where he will begin a new chapter with a young rider. The news was announced on social media by the Breul family, the breeders and owners of the chestnut gelding.
Exquis RB (by Siwing de Triaval out of a Zirocco Blue VDL dam) was bred and produced by Richard Breul. Under his saddle, the chestnut steadily rose to the highest level, securing strong placings in the CSI4* Grand Prix events of Cabourg and Chantilly, among others.
At the start of 2026, Breul handed over the reins to Kevin Staut to allow the horse to make the final leap into the world elite. That partnership paid off immediately: in January, the pair jumped to a 2nd-place finish (1.45m) in their debut at CSI2* Lier. Later this year, the combination won a 1.50m ranking class and finished 4th in the 1.60m Grand Prix at CSIO5* St. Gallen. At Hickstead, they claimed a sixth-place finish in the Grand Prix.
Thanks to these performances, the duo was selected this past August as the reserve combination for the French team at the World Championship in Aachen. Following their last joint appearance at the CSIO5* in Barcelona, the gelding brings his chapter with Staut to a close.
