Anush Agarwalla retires Olympic horse Sir Caramello

Indian equestrian Anush Agarwalla on Thursday announced the retirement of his long-time horse Sir Caramello with whom he competed at the Paris Olympics.

The 25-year-old Agarwalla had become the first rider from India to compete in the Dressage event at the Olympic Games.

They had finished ninth in Group E in Paris, missing out on making the medal round.

"Thank you Sir Caramello for being more than just a horse for me - my partner, my strength and most importantly, my friend," Agarwalla wrote on social media in an emotional post.

"You carried not only my dreams, but the dreams of an entire nation. Because of you, I believed in myself. Because of you, India stood tall at the Olympics. You lit the Olympic fire in countless young equestrians. Always remember- you changed everything for me. Now it’s your time to relax, enjoy and let me spoil you for the rest of your life. Happy retirement Caramello!" Agarwalla had won a gold medal in the team event and a bronze medal in the individual event in dressage at the 2022 Asian Games.