by Fran Jurga | 14 February 2010 | The Jurga Report at Equisearch.com
The dominant international dressage breeding stallion Gribaldi, a Trakehner, has died in Europe.
Photo linked from www.edwardgal.nl.
Some people are still learning of the death of Blue Hors Matine; how can it be possible that the death of yet another superstar–perhaps the superstar–of international dressage could be in the news today?
The brilliant 16-year-old Trakehner stallion Gribaldi has died of what is believed to be a heart rupture just five days after a tribute in his honor by the Dutch Warmblood breeding society (KWPN).
Anky Van Grunsven on her website writes (translated from Dutch by her site), “Co-owner Joop van Uytert is heart broken by the emotional and financial loss of the stallion. Anky is with her thoughts with Joop and the whole I.P.S team.”
On Monday, Eurodressage.com reported that Gribaldi was ordained as the “preferent” sire by the KWPN (Dutch sport horse) society at the 2010 KWPN Stallion Licensing in Den Bosch, The Netherlands.
Edward Gal competed Gribaldi in the late 1990s at the Grand Prix level while working under Anky Van Grunsven, who was associated with the IPS group that owned the stallion. (Edwardgal.nl photo)
Gribaldi is by Kostolany, out of Gondola, who is by Ibikus. Gribaldi is represented in international competition by Edward Gal’s sensational stallion Moorlands Totilas, as well as Gal’s mare Sisther de Jeu, and the rising star of Anky Van Grunsven’s IPS Painted Black.
Gribaldi competed at Grand Prix under Edward Gal, who said on his web site today, “With great pain and sadness in our hearts, we said goodbye to Gribaldi today. A ruptured aorta proved fatal for him. His veterinarian was unable to save him. We can’t believe that his happened to you. You’ll be in our hearts forever. Rest peacefully, dear Gribaldi….”
Reports from Europe of how the horse died are unclear, although a heart malfunction or injury to the heart’s vascular system are common to the reports. Translation can be difficult and details are usually not disclosed as they might be in the USA.
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