6 minute read
CAMARO
by hqmagazine
THE GENTLE GIANT
– Winston Churchill
Churchill’s quote is one top showjumper Marlene Sinclair would certainly agree with when it came to her champion Camaro. Our team felt it fitting to pay tribute to this special horse that inspired many equestrians with his largerthan-life showjumping presence.
HISTORY
Wayne van de Burgh imported Camaro as a seven-year-old. As the story goes, Wayne saw Camaro standing in a field in Europe, looking lost and forgotten. After enquiring about him and watching him jump, he immediately purchased him and made plans to bring him back to South Africa. Little is known about what Camaro had been doing in Germany up until Wayne’s arrival, as no performance record could be found; his owner had sadly passed away after a long illness,
and her husband wasn’t a rider, so Camaro’s past was a bit of a mystery. Unfortunately, when Camaro arrived in South Africa, he contracted a severe case of biliary, from which it took him nearly a year to recover. So, as an eightyear-old with no performance history to speak of, Marlene came to try him, thanks to her then-coach Barry Taylor, who found him for her. She bought him immediately.
Marlene tells us that despite her instant bond with the horse, their partnership didn’t exactly have the perfect start! In their first lesson, jumping a small wall, he hesitated for a moment before engaging his hind end and throwing a huge jump, resulting in a first flying lesson for Marlene. A week later, when mounting, he reared and smashed her nose into the side of her face causing the first of two broken noses! Then in their third week together, while out on a small track, he decided to show Marlene his buck! Having been unseated and left lying on the ground looking up at Camaro, she thought to herself, “How on earth do I get back on this 17.3-hand snorting draft-type horse without any help!”, but with her usual determination, she piled up some stones and logs and climbed aboard, now adamant that she would figure her new teammate out.
This ‘figuring out’ was not a fast process, Marlene informs us, as their first few shows didn’t go so smoothly either; “If I didn’t squeeze on take-off, he would question whether he should jump". All these quirks remained with him his whole career. All I had to do was understand his quirks, and we would be best friends… soulmates”.
Thankfully once they reached the 1.20m classes, their progress to the
World Cup Qualifiers went by in the blink of an eye. However, their notable career sadly only lasted from 2013-2018. During that time, Camaro could only complete one full year of competition as he suffered from recurrent colics and issues relating to shivers, a neurological disorder he suffered from.
Marlene’s goal with Camaro in the first few World Cup Series’ was simply consistency, which they certainly achieved. By opting for safer double clears than winning rounds, Camaro accrued nine World Cup podiums! In less than five years, the pair earned 13 podium finishes in total, including National titles and Grand Prixs. Although it seemed that they were always the bridesmaid and never the bride, their commitment to consistency resulted in their winning the World Cup Qualifying Series in 2018! This meant they had qualified to compete in the 2020 FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas!
Heading into the 2019 season, the time was ripe to really go for it and get some wins under their belts, but Camaro was sadly not himself. As a rider who always puts the horse first, Marlene pulled him from competition and did everything she could to get to the bottom of his issues. Having treated the only minor issue several vets could find at the time, he was back up and running for Burlington Cup later that year. Unfortunately, this proved to be his last competition. Having spent a significant amount of time after this getting him sound enough to retire, he was eventually retired to dear friends to Marlene, the Jacobsz, who have a family farm in Ermelo,
Mpumalanga. He lived out the rest of his life in massive fields with friends, being cared for and loved as well as one could ever hope for their soulmate! At 19 years young, he peacefully passed in his field earlier this year.
ABOUT
Camaro was by the great Holstein stallion Caretino out of a Lantaan mare. Marlene says, “My boy was never really built for such athleticism that World Cup Qualifiers and the like require. He was a super tall, heavy, long backed, deliberate type. However, he embodied sheer power, a gentle heart, and a good mind. He was spectacular.”
CAMARO’S LEGACY
Sometimes, it seems that the biggest lessons horses teach us have nothing to do with riding, and, as Marlene states, Camaro was a phenomenal teacher, not just in the arena but in life.
First and foremost, he was a gentleman of a horse. He was so gentle, in fact, that Marlene’s daughter, young daughter Carlotta, would hold him in the FEI trotup line, providing her with treasured memories of her little girl whispering to her gentle giant. He defined gentleness by keeping his strength under control.
Secondly, he may have been big, heavy, and deliberate, but he had an incredible heart. He proved to so many that athleticism is only half of the equation; for what he lacked, he made up for in bravery and power!
Thirdly, he showed that horses communicate if we just take the time to listen. They may not speak our language, but if we listen and work with them to understand their quirks, they can grow from ‘challenging’ youngsters to World Cup Champions.
And finally, we learn that we are better together. When your horse knows how much you care, he will go the extra mile for you and Marlene and Camaro embodied this principle.
Camaro – you were a giant of a horse in more ways than one. Marlene considers it an honour to have called you her friend, partner, and soulmate. And, for us, it was a privilege to witness you and Marlene in action together. Your sheer power and presence made the biggest tracks look small. Thank you, Camaro and Marlene, for the inspiration you provided to many, many South Africans. Rest in peace, Camaro.
