Olympic eventer Boyd Martin announced on his Facebook page today that On Cue, with whom he won the inaugural Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill in 2021, will be retired from the top of the sport. The 18-year-old Anglo European mare (Cabri D’Elle—On High, Primite Rising) owned by Christine Turner, Thomas Turner, Tommie Turner and Martin was entered in this year’s Mars Maryland 5 Star, but Martin decided to withdraw her.
“While she feels happy and healthy, I felt she was starting to struggle in her final gallops and jump schools,” he wrote in his Facebook post. “I am incredibly proud of everything On Cue and I have accomplished together, and after discussing it with the Turner family, we have decided to step her down from the top of the sport.”
In addition to winning at Maryland, in 2021 she also won the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final at the American Eventing Championships (Kentucky) and won the USEF CCI5* National Championship for earning the top U.S. placing at the Land Rover Kentucky CCI5*-L. That same year the Chronicle honored On Cue and Martin as its overall horse and person of the year, and the U.S. Eventing Association named her its horse and mare of the year. She also finished 10th at the Burghley CCI5*-L (England) in 2023.
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“Cue” also has several foals on the ground that were born via embryo transfer.
“[She’s] one of a few special horses that changed my career,” Martin wrote on Facebook. “I am especially proud that her last competition was a win at Tryon. It would not do her justice if I tried to take advantage of her good nature by asking her to do something I was not sure her body was capable of.
“I am deeply grateful to the Turner family for their unwavering support of On Cue over the years. What we have achieved together has been remarkable. I look forward to continuing to bring her offspring up through the levels in the near future!”
