After an illustrious career that included an Olympic Games and four FEI World Cup Finals for dressage, Idocus has headed out to California for some fun in the sun. The 18-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion (Equador—Eretha) never stopped being competitive—this year he was named an alternate for the 2008 Olympic Games with Courtney King-Dye, but King-Dye and his owner, Christine McCarthy, agreed it was time to stop showing him internationally.
   
So Willy Arts of DG Bar Ranch in Hanford, Calif., stepped in with the perfect solution. Idocus could focus on breeding, an aspect of his career that often ended up on the backburner while he was competing, and spend his spare time teaching junior rider Ashlyn De Groot all about upper level dressage.
   
“It’s really cool. I’m very blessed to have him here and to be able to ride him,” said 14-year-old De Groot.
   
She won’t show him in junior and young rider classes, but De Groot may eventually enter him in some open classes.
   
“For Ashlyn to ride him, it’s a great opportunity, but the breeding will be the main focus starting next year,” said Arts. “We’re very pleased to have Idocus. He’s a promoter of the Dutch horses. We’ve had really good experience with his offspring. We’ve got two right now, one is going to do the 6-year-old classes next year, and the other will do the developing horse Prix St. Georges classes.”

Although King-Dye was pleased to know Idocus went to a wonderful retirement home, it was a bittersweet parting for her. She and Idocus did their first Grand Prix together when he was 10, and she showed him in Europe before Marlies van Baalen took over the ride. King-Dye wasn’t reunited with Idocus until 2005, so it was hard to say goodbye again.

“I really would have loved to be able to keep him with me and ease him into retirement, and I was very sad that I couldn’t find a way to make that work,” said King-Dye. “But he’s a breeding stallion, and there’s not a place around me where he could be bred. We’ve tried to make the transition as smooth as possible, and Ashlyn and Willy have been in touch with me. They’re doing all the things I’ve always done to baby him.”
   
King-Dye said that she was having fun with Idocus and just enjoying him before he left at the end of November. “I had no agenda with him, and he was so happy to work,” she said. “I thought I’d let my assistant learn on him and also one of my clients, but he was so bad with them. He was stopping and backing up. He clearly said to me, ‘I’m not finished, but I’m not a school horse.’ That comforts me about not having him with me. I know if he’s out there and working for Ashlyn and doing his job, then he’s happy. He doesn’t do what he doesn’t want to do.   
   
“You can’t get to the top ranks without that super talented horse,” continued King-Dye. “He was so talented, and he gave me the chance to get out there. I’ll never run out of gratitude to him for doing that and all of the people along the way that helped me to keep that horse. They don’t come much more special than him.”
   
Idocus isn’t done receiving honors yet though. Next year he’ll be available as a Breyer model.
   
“He’s been a phenomenal horse, and he’s still sound,” said McCarthy. “He’s got a lot to teach someone else. He’s still going strong, and he loves to work. He’s just a nice animal.”