He may never have been the most talked-about horse on the circuit, but for a year and a half, Careca LS Elite proved to be one of Jérôme Guéry’s most reliable partners. Generous, consistent, always ready to answer the call on the biggest stages, the son of Caruso LS La Silla is now heading back to where it all began: Mexico. At 15 years old, there is no talk of retirement for the experienced chestnut. This is simply the start of a new chapter in his sporting career. 

The horse who was never meant to be number one

At first, Careca LS Elite was never supposed to become the cornerstone of the Guéry stable. Just a very good backup. An “intermediate” horse, as the Belgian rider himself describes it.

Guéry first spotted Careca alongside Olivier Robert during the Morocco Tour. The horse immediately caught his eye, prompting him to call his friend Simon Delestre, who had briefly ridden him. “Simon told me: ‘I think this is a very interesting horse for you,’” Guéry recalls. A few weeks later, the deal was done. 

Then everything changed overnight. Quel Homme retired, and suddenly Careca found himself thrown into a role that had never really been designed for him.

« “It wasn’t supposed to be his role in the beginning, but he truly fulfilled it for more than a year and a half,” summarizes the World Championship silver medallist.

alkenswaard, Miami, Mexico: from supporting act to points machine

Careca LS Elite may not have been the flashiest horse on the circuit. But he possessed something riders value above all else: the willingness to give everything, every single time.

Clear rounds in the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Valkenswaard, strong performances on the biggest five-star tracks, invaluable contributions in team competitions… the Mexican-bred gelding above all provided Guéry with precious consistency at the highest level. 

And paradoxically, it may have been once he returned to being the “second” horse that he performed at his very best.

With the arrival of Quito de Mariposa and the comeback of Qartouche de la Pomme d'Or, Careca naturally slipped back into a luxury supporting role. The results came instantly: victories in Miami, victories in Mexico. Suddenly, the horse became highly sought after. The phones started ringing. 

Back to Mexico, but not into retirement

The story could easily have continued a little longer. Guéry himself hesitated about selling him. Because a horse like Careca brings reassurance to a rider. He wins points. And he never cheats.

But in Mexico, after a victory, a young Mexican rider came directly to the Belgian with a simple question. His name: Alejandro Martin Del Campo Ramirez. “Is he for sale?” 

The rest feels almost like a perfectly completed circle.

Born at La Silla, by Caruso LS La Silla out of Rebeca LS, the famous former Grand Prix mare of Édouard Levy, the very mare who helped launch the French rider onto the biggest stage, Careca is now returning to Mexico to begin a second sporting life. 

And certainly not one spent quietly grazing in the sun.

At 15, the experienced bay will now help guide his new rider’s progression on the international circuit. His new role will now be to help develop this young rider further. ” explains Jérôme Guéry. 

A transition that feels almost natural for such a generous horse, built as much to teach as to perform.

The kind of horse you never forget

In top stables, horses come and go quickly. Very quickly. New stars emerge, investors move on, stable colours change with sponsors.

But some horses leave behind more than results. Careca LS Elite clearly belongs to that category.

« He’s not a horse with every possible quality, but he’s so generous ” Guéry insists. The kind of sentence a rider does not say for appearances, but as a genuine tribute to a horse that gave everything.

Mexico is now welcoming back a true master schoolmaster. Guéry, meanwhile, is probably losing one of his most faithful soldiers. And in the end, Careca is not really leaving the biggest arenas behind.