One of the most successful dressage horses of recent years has officially retired from the show ring…but not without an interesting post script in the area of horse health.

Blue Hors Cavan, a 15-year-old Hanoverian, captivated audiences all over the world in international competition for the Danish team with rider Lars Petersen. At one time, he was the highest rated stallion competing in the sport of dressage.

But now his performance record is a little confusing, since his last years were competed as a gelding.

Blue Hors Cavan was afflicted with testicular hernias. He missed the 2000 Olympics in Sydney when the hernia flared up and he coliced; he was gelded in 2001.

The University of Guelph vet school has an explanatory page on stallion hernias.

Read more about Blue Hors Cavan and his career:

Dressage Daily has a summary of the horse’s career and his retirement ceremony in Denmark.

Blue Hors Cavan’s castration report was news when it was reported on Eurodressage.com.

Blue Hors Cavan’s page on the web site of Blue Hors Stud in Denmark is still active.

Lars Petersen, Blue Hors Cavan’s long-time rider, now lives in Florida

Blue Hors Cavan’s successful son Cassidy was named best dressage stallion in Denmark and how lives in the USA, training with Danish (of course) trainer Bent Jensen.