Castle Forbes Mirtylle Palois to bid farewell to the public in Lyon.

Today is a big day for the Equità Lyon event. Not only are many important competitions scheduled, but fans will also have the chance to see-off France’s favourite performer, the European Champion Castle Forbes Mirtylle Palois, in what promises to be a wonderful farewell ceremony. The mount’s appearance in front of her adoring public is set for 20.15 this evening and will last several minutes.
After tonight, Castle Forbes Mirtylle Palois will dedicate herself to breeding purposes. Her rider meanwhile, Roger-Yves Bost, has declared that he’s upset at having to do without a horse like Mirtylle but the decision was made in the health interests of the horse after suffering from various injuries.
The story of this incredible mount is very much like a fairy tale with a happy ending. She was born in 2000 at Haras du Palois but in difficult times for the breeding farm which meant they sold all of their horses except for one: Myrtille. Interestingly, it was her mother’s physical appearance that put off potential buyers at the time. Rita la Rouge was blind, had very short legs and had back problems which didn’t offer much hope for her offspring’s future. Myrtille for her part was also very small in addition to being shy and at times difficult.
At the age of 3, Myrtille hurt herself just before the renowned Fences sale where she was sold for 23.000 euros as a breeder to Lady Georgina Forbes who remains to this day the owner. The following year she made her debut in the young horses championship with Gilles Veron and 2 years after she was paired with Ireland’s Jessica Kurten. It was with the latter that against all the odds she was launched on the international stage.
In 2011 Lady Georgina Forbes took the decision to move the performer to the stables of Roger-Yves Bost who had already had the chance to test the potential of Myrtille. It proved to be an inspired decision. Bost worked with the mount right until the point that she was capable of fulfilling all her potential and in fact she obtained important victories in Brazil, Ireland, Belgium and Finland. The best was to come in Denmark where she won the European Championship in 2013. All of this was great satisfaction to Agnès Grostz, who raised the horse.
Bost meanwhile remains deeply tied to his “princess” as he calls her. In the past days he has filled his facebook page with photos and videos that confirm the affection towards this horse who is expected to be greeted by a sea of people tonight. Her final moment in the spotlight is thoroughly deserved.