The remarkable mare, Himalaya du Temple, has captured the spotlight during the CSIO4*-W Grand Prix held in Rabat, marking the second leg of the prestigious Morocco Royal Tour. This exceptional horse, sired by Toulon and a full sister to Grandeur du Temple (ISO 130), was bred by Guy Martin in Ain, France. At just 9 years of age, she has been under the skilled guidance of rider Olivier Perreau for the past two seasons, entrusted to him by her owners, Claude and Edith Astier.
Present at the event alongside his wife Edith, Claude Astier, the proud owner of Himalaya du Temple, was understandably overjoyed. As the proprietor of a large equestrian establishment in Arnas with 400 licensed riders, he is relishing the success of his prized mare. "I have been working closely with Guy Martin, the mare's breeder, for 30 years, purchasing horses from him regularly. Initially, he was hesitant to sell her, but after much persuasion, I managed to convince him. I have no regrets. She has performed exceptionally well this year, achieving rankings in Monaco, Paris, and Abu Dhabi. She brings us great joy and pride. Initially, my son rode her until she was six years old, but then Claude Perreau, Olivier's father, advised me to let his son take over. I did, and I am extremely satisfied with that decision. Everything is going smoothly, and there is a great rapport between them. Many people have expressed interest in buying her, but for now, only time will tell whether I made the right choice in keeping her. My heart is leading the way for now. I have my two sons competing and my grandchildren involved as well. We are currently living in a dream, and I hope this dream will fully materialize. This is my first time here, and I am so thrilled that I hardly know where I stand. I feel like I'm on cloud nine. Olivier has told me not to rush things, and we are taking our time. I trust him completely, as he is very conscientious and has everything under control.
Despite not winning the Grand Prix in Rabat, having been narrowly beaten by Dubai du Cèdre, Olivier Perreau remains confident that his partner has the potential for greatness. "She is undeniably competitive at this level," he remarked. "The clear objective for her this week was the Grand Prix. Now that she's completed her weekend, there was a solid line to finish the first round of the Grand Prix, requiring a strategic choice right from the double jump. My plan was to clear the double well and continue with five strides, which I managed to do. There were many faults in that double jump, and if we didn't exit well, we might have needed a sixth stride, but she jumped beautifully. She had an excellent year at 8, and now she is doing even better at 9. She is definitely going to compete in major Grand Prix events, and she is quick as well. Midway through the jump-off, I eased off slightly, especially after the turn to the wall. I wanted to stick to my plan of going clear because I have had a couple of faults in previous jump-offs while trying to go faster. While I would have preferred to win, I am pleased to have finished second and look forward to our next opportunity. I have known the Astier family for a long time, and they entrusted me with the mare when she was just 7, with the goal of taking her as far as she can go. It’s wonderful to share these memorable moments with the owners, and I am grateful for their support.
As reported by leperon.fr.
