Bonheur

Owner, rider and trainer: Christilot Boylen
 

Career Highlights:

• 1963 American Horse Shows Association
• Dressage Medal Class at Washington D.C., Winner
• 1963 Royal Winter Fair, Canadian Dressage Champion
• 1964 Olympics, Tokyo  — 20th
• 1968 Olympics, Mexico — 19th individually
• 1968 Olympics, Mexico  – Team 7th
  

Bonheur was a dark bay/brown off-the-track Thoroughbred originally named “Colonel W.” He was born in 1955, by Colonel O'f  ex Miss Wezie, by Boswell —  and ran two seasons being unplaced in 20 starts, and earning $170. His racing career better left behind, he ended up at the stable Brian Herbinson, a member of Canada’s 1956 Bronze Medal Three-day Event Team, where Christilot bought the horse for the princely sum of $800. According to her book, Canadian Entry, she recalled thinking later that evening after her test ride that “his gaits are as soft as velvet.”

A high-spirited horse Bonheur was not easy to stop. Christilot’s first lesson did not go well and resulted in her teacher battling with the horse and telling Christilot she had “spoiled him already and let him get away with murder.” To the young girl, this was heavy criticism and sent her bursting into tears.

For weeks thereafter Bonheur was unrideable and Chrisitlot’s mother had begun to wonder if they’d bought a ‘crazy’ horse. There were rumours at Pony Club about him being uncontrollable to ride. “Only Christilot’s tears and pleading saved Bonheur from being sold immediately.” Over time, the bond between horse and rider grew and Bonheur became very jealous of any attention Christilot showed to any creature but himself!

Canadian Entry describes what it took to turn Bonheur around: “Christilot’s mother stumbled across the name of General von Oppeln Bronikowski who had been a member of the German dressage team that won a Gold Medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Her mother phoned the General and explained about the situation and he kindly consented to come and have a look at Bonheur. On the judgment day Christilot showed Bonheur to him first without saddle so he could see his conformation and type. He turned to her mother and said in German, “Do you know that I have never possessed such a beautiful horse in my life?” Bonheur was then saddled and the General rode him. After a short while the General dismounted and asked Christilot to ride. “She is worth teaching,” he said to her mother. That night Christilot began her studies in German — the General did not speak English. Her lessons in dressage [on an off-the-track Thoroughbred] had begun.”

Bonheur and Christilot began their dressage training when she was 14. By the 1964 Tokyo Olympics Christilot would be 17. In 1963 they won the American Horse Shows Association Dressage Medal Class at Washington D.C. and a month later became Canadian Dressage Champions for the first time at the Royal Winter Fair. Because of Christilot’s youth it was decided that if she and Bonheur could achieve 55% in international competition they would be accepted to compete at the Tokyo Olympics. Arrangements were made to ship the two off to Europe where they had seven months to learn the flying change every stride and the piaffe for the Grand Prix test.  At Tokyo they finished a respectable 20th.
 
(Source: Canadian Entry by Christilot Hanson-Boylen and Long Run Thoroughbred Horse Retirement Society)