Elmegardens Marquis Competed by Georgia’s Joanne Vaughan at Age 21 at Wellington, One of World’s Oldest Active Big Tour Horses

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Joanne Vaughan riding Elmegardens Marquis in the Global Dressage Festival CDI3* at the age of 21, the oldest horse ever to compete at international level at a CDI on the Global circuit. © 2020 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

WELLINGTON, Florida, Jan. 12, 2020–Emegardens Marquis, loaned to Great Britain for the 2011 team that won its only European Championship gold medal, is competing in Florida at the age of 21 as one of the oldest active Big Tour horses in the world.

“Max,” as the Danish Warmblood gelding is nicknamed, “is doing really well and he’s given no indication he wants to stop,” said Joanne Vaughan, the owner who has been competing the horse in Florida every year since 2014.

Joanne, who lives in Germany but rides under the flag of Georgia, has owned Marquis (Michellino x Lucky Light) since he was six years old.

The horse was not easy, she admits and has a long record of her bones broken over the years.

In 2010, Emile Faurie began riding Marquis for Joanne, with the Europeans at Rotterdam the highlight of their two years together. The partnership between horse and rider was less than cordial.

Great Britain’s star-studded 2011 European Championship team of Laura Tomlinson on Mistral Hojris, Carl Hester on Uthopia, Charlotte Dujardin on Valegro and Emile Faurie on Elmegardens Marquis that won the nation their only continental team title. © 2011 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Joanne took over the ride in 2013.

Since then, the duo has competed at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy in 2014 and at Tryon in 2018, as well as European Championshps at Gothenburg, Sweden in 2017 and Rotterdam last year among their 122 CDI starts that includes the CDI3* Grand Prix and Special here this weekend.