Anna Kasprzak's young rider's horse, Blue Hors Future Cup, has been euthanized on 23 May 2012 due to an incurable injury. The licensed Westfalian stallion was 16 years old.
Future Cup's international show career ended with Kasprzak's biggest achievement at the time: individual bronze in the Kur to Music at the 2010 European Young Riders Championships in Kronberg, Germany. Soon after the stallion became injured and despite treatment from Danish and foreign veterinarians, the horse no longer became sound.
Born in 1996, Future Cup (by Florestan x Disco Star x Apart) started his career as a young sport horse, becoming the reserve champion at the 1999 Bundeschampionate. He sold to Blue Hors three months later and was licensed in Denmark in 2000, completing the 30-day performance test in Vilhelmsborg with success. Future Cup's most well known offspring is Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein's Grand Prix mare Fabienne.
Kasprzak's international dressage career started aboard Future Cup. Anna's family acquired the bay stallion from Blue Hors in 2005 after Andreas Helgstrand had trained and competed the horse at international small tour level. Blue Hors had acquired the stallion at the 1999 P.S.I. Auction in Ankum for 550,000 euro.
Kasprzak and Future Cup were a successful partnership. The pair won the 2007 Danish Junior Riders Championships and the 2008 Ecco Cup Finals. In 2008 they finished second at the Young Riders World Cup Final in Frankfurt. They earned silver at the 2009 Danish Young Riders Championships and In 2010 they became National Young Riders Champion and won kur bronze at the European Young Riders Championships.
The plan was to have the horse retired at the big Ecco stables in Haderslev, but in recent weeks, "Futte" became ill-humoured, grumpy and started to wither in response to the pain of his injiury.
"We have really tried everything to be able to ride him just a little, but without success," Kasprzak told the Danish magazine Ridehesten.com. "So we made the tough decision that he should have peace. He has meant so infinitely much to me and to the whole family. He was the beginning of my riding career, and he has been a great mentor to me. I will always be eternally grateful to him."
Photos © Astrid Appels
Related Links
Eurodressage Photo Database: Future Cup
Lutkemeier Ends Young Riders' Career with Triple Gold
Blue Hors Future Cup Sold to Danish Young Rider
Skodborg Merrald, Tange, Dufour and Kasprzak Win 2008 ECCO Cup Finals
Diederik van Silfhout Wins the 2008 Young Rider World Cup Final
Skodborg Merrald, Kasprzak, and Bendix, 2007 Danish Dressage Champions
