Gemma Tattersall has said goodbye to her “superstar” and “absolute poppet” Pamero 4, who has retired from the top level of the sport.
Clive Smith’s 14-year-old gelding is to live a quieter life in his new home, competing in dressage and low-level jumping.
Gemma told H&H the Hanoverian suffered a significant injury before Badminton 2019 and had a year off. As he was coming back into work he suffered a mild setback, and had more time out.
“We didn’t want him to be injured again so the decision was that retiring him to a lower level was the best thing for him,” she said.
Gemma said her fondest memories included her second place at Pau 2018, her highest CCI5* finish so far, where they finished on their dressage score, 0.4 of a penalty behind winner Thibault Fournier on Siniani De Lathus.
“It was so close!” she said. “He was fantastic there, and his second place in the Event Rider Masters at Barbury that year was great too. Another really fond memory was his fourth place at Blenheim; I hadn’t had him long and was really chuffed to finish on his dressage score.”
Gemma described Pamero, who she said had been “brilliantly” produced up to five-star level by Laura Collett before she took on the ride in 2017, as hugely powerful with a “massive” stride.
“He had endless, endless scope,” she said. “He could jump the biggest fences; five-star wasn’t really big enough for him, and the showjumping was never big enough!
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“He was very genuine, and always an absolute gentleman on the ground, so kind and sweet and smiley. I never once saw him with his ears back.
“He was an absolute poppet and we will all miss him so very much.
“A big thank you to his owner Clive Smith for giving me the opportunity to ride this wonderful horse.”
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