Kate Shoemaker's Paralympic Medal Winner Solitär Retired from Sport

U.S.A.

U.S. paralympian Kate Shoemaker has retired her number one medal winning mount, Solitär, from competition sport.

Solitär is a 17-year old Hanoverian by Sandro Hit out of Dynasty (by De Niro x Weltmeyer x Grenadier). He is bred by Wilhelm Klausing.

German Start

Solitär's sport career began in Germany in 2011 under Heiko Klausing, the son of the breeder. He competed him first as a 4-year old in the riding horse tests at local events.

In 2012 Sebastian Albers began competing the gelding and they finished 47th in the first round of the 2012 Bundeschampionate. They did not ride the consolation class. By 2014 they had reached M-level and in 2015 competed in Prix St Georges classes at regional shows in the Westfalian area.

Sold to the U.S.A.

Solitär sold to the USA at the autumn of 2015 to Kate Shoemaker who took a flying start with the gelding, competing him in their first show in Kate, Texas, mid September in the able bodied third and fourth level tests. One month later they premiered in their first CPEDI 1*, also in Katy, in October 2015 at Grade III level. Shoemaker competes in para classes due to white matter lesions from periventricular ischemia causing motor control dysfunction, muscle weakness, and spasms on the right side of her body.

In 2016 they went to Wellington to gain mileage, while in 2017 they showed in Rancho Murieta and Tryon, having moved up to Grade IV.

U.S. Para Team Horse

The pair drew the attention of the U.S. para team selectors and got nominated for the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, where the US team finished fifth, but individually she got a bronze medal in the kur to music.

In 2019 they returned to Wellington to win every single CPEDI class they entered in, including four able bodied Amateurs small tour tests. Also at the CPEDI Rancho Murieta across the country in California, they achieved a hattrick. In July they flew to the U.K. and competed at the CPEDI Hartpury where they were second and third. They returned to the U.S. rather quickly as in August 2019, Riley Garrett rode the horse in Grade II at a national show in Aiken, S.C. Shoemaker finished the year on Solitär at the CPEDI Tryon with more winning rides.

In 2020 they had another undefeated streak in Wellington but the Paralympics were postponed by a year due to the covid pandemic. At the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo ,the U.S. team won bronze and individually they were fourth.

Shoemaker and Solitär continued their campaign competing in the limited amount of CPEDI's hosted in the U.S.A (always Wellington or Tryon).

Rohner and Howard

After a short season in Wellington at the 2022 Global Dressage Festival and another start in the CPEDI Tryon, in the autumn of 2022 Shoemaker decided to allocate the ride on her experienced Solitär to Genevieve Rohner, who showed him at one CPEDI in Tryon in Grade IV to a double win.

Solitär's last competition season was in 2023 starting with one CPEDI which Kate rode and then two months later, on 10 - 13 March 2023, Fiona Howard rode him at Grade II level to a double win. They withdrew from the freestyle.

Solitär's last show was at White Fences on 9 - 10 September 2023 in a national Grade IV class.

Retirement

Shoemaker announced the retirement of Solitär on Facebook.

"At 17 years old, Soli has accumulated 100 FEI starts with 62 wins. Soli and I also competed in exactly 100 dressage tests at USEF/USDF shows from 3rd level to intermediate I and Para. He was a horse I was told I ”would never be able to ride,” but in truth we never gave up and would go on to achieve World Championship and Paralympic bronze medals."

Kate added, "he took me to many firsts: my first national championship title, my first European competition, my first Worlds, my first Paralympics, and so much more. Soli also shared the joy and my love of the sport with several other para riders giving 3 other riders the opportunity to show (Fiona in grade 2, Riley in grade 3, and Genevieve in grade 4) and countless more to to learn from him in lessons."

She concluded, "he was and is the horse I could always count on and there is no better way to describe him than as my best friend. While, this day came sooner than I expected, I’m honored to offer him a royal retirement where he can do as much or as little as he pleases. While a small suspensory branch injury has sidelined him from being in Paris contention this year, this horse loves to show and don’t be surprised to see him out enjoying himself at local shows at whatever level he is happy doing in the future. He will forever keep his place in my barn and continue his role as King of the barn."