Brazil’s Luis Francisco de Azevedo won Friday’s Friends Of The Meadows Cup at the Continental meeting at Spruce Meadows in Canada riding Collin, a horse that had once been destined for the slaughterhouse.
Yesterday they took the lead when fourth into the 13-horse jump-off in the 1.45m event and survived a late scare from Canada’s Tiffany Foster on Brighton to take the top prize.
The Brazilian’s winning mount had been unwanted as a seven year-old because he was wild and difficult to ride. A friend of de Azevedo stepped in to buy the horse for the slaughterhouse value and urged the rider to give him a chance.
“When he arrived at home we saw a lot of quality but he was afraid of everything,” de Azevedo said after a win earlier this year at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida.
“He is the kind of horse that needs to have confidence in his rider. I did not try to change him, but tried to do it his way.”
When the Brazilian brought Collin to his first show he jumped clear at 1.30m, 1.35m, and 1.40m on consecutive days. They have had a number of international successes together and de Azevedo gives all the credit to Collin, saying all he did was give him a chance.
Of his latest win on Collin, de Azevedo said: “It’s my first time here at Spruce Meadows and to win one class is really something special to me.”
Mike Dunne
(read about a previous success for the pairing here)
We Live Horse 
Collin’s time being sent to the slaughterhouse is just being delayed. Once he can no longer compete he will then be sent to slaughter. Am I correct?
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In a word, no. Some horses end up that way but many equestrians keep horses until they die or place them with friends etc. Of course there are, unfortunately, cases where horses are neglected when they are past competing. Thanks for getting in touch. Mike Dunne.
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I’d love to introduce you to my 29 year old former preliminary event horse. I’ve owned him for more than 20 years. He’s fully retired now and has been for a number of years, but he’s still loved, valued and cared for.
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Wonderful – lucky you, lucky horse. Thanks for telling us about him. Mike Dunne
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thats wonderful, good for you! I do not understand how anyone could give up a horse that gave them such love!!
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What a particular conclusion. There will always be hard, heartless people. There are also people, far more in fact, that truly love horses and all they represent. I have had several retired horses long past competition or even casual trail riding. They lived out their lives cared for and loved. Humanely euthanized when pain from arthritis became unmanageable and they were no longer comfortable. It saddens me that the animal rights movement is brainwashing people into thinking all people abuse animals and all use of animals is abuse. I’ve always preferred animals over people, animals have made my life infinitely better and I hope I have always done my best by the animals in my life. When all animals are eliminated from peoples lives (The stated AR goal) what a sad world this will be…
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Nissa Lindstrom, I presume you are lumping all animal rights people with PETA….most animal rights people don’t agree with Peta, and are actually doing fantastic things being the voice for the voiceless.
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Good grief no! Every week or so in the Chronicle of the Horse, you can read the obits of long-retired competition horses, having died at ages like 28, 30, 32, and back in April, a horse that had won Rolex (now Land Rover) Kentucky in 1999. He was 34.
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How can these people do that to such a beautiful and talented 🦓 horse ?? They all deserve to live. Never knew this about horse racing. It is their dirty little secret!’ Kill the babies if they think they will never make money!!
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I haven’t regained at my barn any new horses for the last seven years. Several horses over my 75 years have found their way into my care. Some had competed but broke down and needed to be rehabilitated which I was able to do, and I got to ride them and live my dreams. Most have gone, escorted from a very loved satisfying end to life here on earth, by myself. All horses will die. It is always the sad part of owning them. I, now struggle to outlive the ones still in my care. In the meanwhile, still content, cared for, a day at a time…..🔮
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Jennifer Lee Jumpers in The Plains, Va. Repurposes racehorses. Successfully turns them into jumpers.
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