Dr. Wilfried Bechtolsheimer's Grand Prix horse Giorgione S has passed away last night at the graceful age of 30. The Hanoverian stallion was euthanized following a severe colic attack.
Giorgione S was born in 1981 and bred by Ernst Ivermeyer. He was by Grundstein I out of Polonaise (by Perser xx x Fronvogt x Fruska) and licensed for the Oldenburg society.
Dr. Bechtolsheimer discovered him in Germany as an 8-year old small tour horse and acquired him initially as his own ride. In 1991 the 25-year old Carl Hester, who was an assistant rider at Wilfried's yard at the time, got the ride on the 10-year old Giorgione to secure his Grand Prix career.
The combination qualified for the British team and competed at the 1992 Olympic Games. They also won the 1991 and 1992 British National Championships.
After Hester left Dr. Bechtolsheimer's yard at the end of 1994, Wilfried climbed back into the saddle of Giorgione. Dr. B. competed the chestnut stallion for Britain at the 1995 European Championships in Mondorf-Les-Bains.
"Gino was very special to us for many reasons," Wilfried told Eurodressage. "He was the first horse I trained to Grand Prix level. In combination with Carl he was the dominating force in British dressage in the early 1990s. He was our first horse competing at 1992 Olympic Games, I rode my first Grand Prix for Great Britain on him in Hickstead, where we came first and I rode my first international championship on him in 1995 and we were reserve for the Atlanta Olympics."
Giorgione was a hero in Wilfried's eyes and he had a statue built in Gino's honour which stands to watch over their Olympic size outdoor arena.
"As a little girl, Laura loved to sit on him just piaffing, maybe that's where her feel and love for dressage started," said Wilfried.
Giorgione bred to a limited amount of mares but sired several successful offspring, including young rider's horse Gryffindor, which first had a top show career under Ann Kirstin Dornbracht and recently sold to British junior Charlotte Gill.
"Giorgione was the "father" of our breeding enterprise. His lovely temperament as well as his excellent bloodlines made him a perfect match for blood typed mares," Bechtolsheimer explained. "At the age of 20 he performed the last time in public with our head boy Rob Lumb in a stallion quadrille. The last ten years he spent his life in retirement out in the fields, fit and in excellent health. We will miss this wonderful horse, friend and partner, to whom we owe so much."
Related Links
Dornbracht and Gryffindor Fourth at 2008 European Young Riders Championships
Gloria Germania Offered For Sale at 2000 Vechta Spezial Auslese Auction