The dressage sport mourns the loss of the gelding Diallo. Jessica von Bredow-Werndl says goodbye to her horse with emotional words. He was still in top shape at the weekend. The illness “came like a storm,” writes the Olympic champion, “merciless and unstoppable.”
The German dressage rider Jessica von Bredow-Werndl mourns the loss of her horse Diallo. The eleven-year-old gelding died on Tuesday in a Munich horse clinic. The four-time Olympic champion confirmed this on Instagram, where she shared her farewell with emotional words.
“This morning I had to let you go, Diallo. And no word feels big enough for what just broke inside me,” the 39-year-old wrote to her more than 460,000 followers.
Diallo was admitted to the clinic on Monday. Just the weekend before, everything felt easy, von Bredow-Werndl reported. “Then this disease came like a storm, silent, merciless and unstoppable,” she continued. The horse fought, but in the end his heart couldn’t take it anymore.
According to the rider, an infection with the Borna virus is suspected. It is a dangerous virus that primarily affects horses and sheep and causes inflammation of the central nervous system, which is usually fatal. According to current knowledge, horses do not infect each other, but probably through tree shrews.
“Your place is empty. And yet you are everywhere”
Good dressage horses reach their peak athletic performance comparatively late. They are usually considered to be at their prime dressage age between ten and 15 years. In Paris, von Bredow-Werndl won gold with Dalera BB, the exceptional mare was already 17 years old at the time.
The gelding Diallo was also considered a great sporting promise. Last year he celebrated his first successes at Grand Prix level with von Bredow-Werndl, including a victory at the Grand Prix of the Stuttgart German Masters in November.
Von Bredow-Werndl, who, in addition to her four Olympic victories, has also won a World Cup title and six European Championship titles, said goodbye with the words: “Your place is empty. And yet you are everywhere.” She will carry Diallo in her heart.
National coach Monica Theodorescu also expressed her sadness. “I am very sad that we have lost a horse with a very good international perspective and a lovely character,” said the 62-year-old.
SUF
