At the age of 19, Mai Baum was still showing his class over the weekend at the Event at Rebecca Farm, winning the 4-star Short before taking a bow and retiring from competition in the same place where he won his first 3-star.
Mai Baum and Tamie Smith in the ring for the last time. (Shannon Brinkman photo)
With Tamie Smith aboard, the aptly nicknamed Lexus broke the Montana event’s dressage score record with 22 penalties, did a solo turn on cross-country so everyone could watch and turned in a show jumping double-clear to earn his final trophy.
He was ridden in the victory gallop by his owner, Alex Ahearn, who also did the honors in the retirement ceremony, where he received a wreath of flowers. Mai Baum was the first U.S. horse since 2007 to win the Kentucky 5-star when he triumphed there in 2023, making him an instant hero who will be missed.