Celebrating Virgil: A champion's retirement

As the sun sets on a remarkable career, the Australian equestrian community gathers to celebrate the retirement of Shane Rose’s beloved horse, Virgil (by Vivant). This extraordinary horse has not only achieved great success in the sport but has also captured the hearts of athletes and fans alike. Virgil’s retirement marks the end of an era, one filled with fantastic performances but also an unbreakable bond with Shane.

Bred by Michelle Hasibar and owned by Shane and Niki Rose with Michelle, Virgil is a large, striking horse known for his athleticism. His ability to navigate challenging courses with precision and strength earned him a reputation as a formidable competitor and he has certainly made his mark in the world of Eventing alongside Shane. 

Throughout his career, Virgil competed in various events with Shane at the helm, the pair achieving excellent results, including top finishes at national and international competitions. Virgil's recent performance highlights include 20th place in Individual Eventing at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, 1st Place in the CCI4*-S, Land Rover Horse of the Year 2024, in New Zealand, 1st Place in the CCI5*-L, Adelaide International Horse Trials 2023 and Team Silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021).

Shane says about the now 19 year old Virgil, "He's always had a very good ability to jump and he's a big horse but he's actually put together very well. So the fact that he's always found jumping so easy meant that he's been able to stay sound and has competed in the sport within himself, not having to over exert or reach his limits. He's obviously talented in lots of areas but I think when you've got a horse that you can then keep sound for long periods of time, then you get to see the best of them when they're at their most educated."

When asked about his most memorable moment with Virgil, Shane replied, "I think Adelaide 3DE a couple of years ago. It was at that stage going to be his last event until things didn't go to plan and we had to pull him out of retirement a bit early. For him to be able to finish a five star on his lowest ever finishing score (28.5) at that age was pretty cool."

When asked about what retirement will hold for Virgil, Shane says, "he will look after the babies... he's got a couple of yearlings and a couple of two or three two year olds at the moment that he hangs out with in a nice big paddock. I felt like whilst it would have been nice for him to do a bit more, I didn't want to go down the showjumping route, because in order to do it properly, the horses need to be in more work than I felt he needed to do. I thought about giving him to a young rider, but didn't want them missing him into fences. He's very easy to ride, but he also needs quite a strong rider and I felt the person that would suit him would probably be too good for where he's at in his life. So we decided that he could just look after the babies and hang out in the front paddock."

In celebrating Virgil, we honor not just a champion athlete, but also a remarkable friend and partner. His contributions to the world of Eventing will be remembered for years to come, and his spirit will live on in the hearts of those who have been touched by his grace and talent. Here’s to Virgil— enjoy your retirement!

All images by Libby Law Photography.