Bacyrouge, affectionately known as ‘Dreamy,’ is a remarkable twelve-year-old Selle Français, sired by Mylord Carthago. Initially acquired as a resale project, Canadian eventer Lindsay Traisnel of Maidstone, Ontario, developed a deep bond with the gelding and decided to keep him for herself. Dreamy is now proudly owned by her parents and trained by Lindsay and her husband Xavier Traisnel.

Horse of the Month: No longer in the clouds, Bacyrouge has his head in the Games!

Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley

The journey with Dreamy has been a strong one debuting with Traisnel in 2017. In the current season, they have achieved impressive results at the CCI4*-L and CCI4*-S levels. Their accomplishments in 2023 include securing a 10th place finish in Raeford, North Carolina, a fourth-place finish in Bromont, Quebec, and a fifth in Mill Spring, North Carolina.

Their hard work and dedication have paid off, and they are now poised to make their debut at the Pan American Games starting on October 26 in Santiago, Chile. 

Horse of the Month: No longer in the clouds, Bacyrouge has his head in the Games!Photo Credit: Cealy TetleyIs this Dreamy’s first time travelling outside of North American for competition? How does he travel?

 This will be his first time flying to a competition. He did fly from France with us when we moved back to Canada in 2017 and travelled well. He travels well in the trailer and always gets off on a mission!

Where does the nickname ‘Dreamy’ come from?

When we bought Dreamy as a four-year-old he spent a lot of time with his head straight up in the air and was easily distracted. We said he had his head in the clouds and was dreaming hence the barn name Dreamy. I try to give my horses a name that I want them to live up to and he definitely has.

Will his owner (aka your mom?) be on site at the Games?

Yes! My mom, dad, and husband will all be there. My sister and brother in law very kindly offered to watch our 2 girls while we’re all in Chile.

Horse of the Month: No longer in the clouds, Bacyrouge has his head in the Games!What’s his personality like? Is he different in competition?

Dreamy is a very sweet horse and shows up to work every day. He prefers to be constantly on the move-anything that involves standing still is his least favourite! Luckily he is very similar in competition to what he is like to ride at home which makes training and preparing a lot easier.

What are his strengths in three phases?

Dreamy would run and jump all day and to me is the perfect combination of brave and careful in an event horse. He’s got plenty of scope to get himself out of trouble and will do everything he can to get through the flags to the other side.

Anything else you’d like to share about him, you or the experience?

I feel so lucky to be sitting on a horse like Dreamy for my first team experience. We have been together for 8 years so we know each other very well. It gives me a lot of confidence having such a talented and reliable partner. I am also so grateful to everyone that is making our trip to Chile possible. There is a huge amount of planning and funding that goes into a trip like this and we wouldn’t be here without everyone’s help.