Vincent St. James, one of New Zealand's former top Grand Prix horses, has passed away on on Sunday evening 28 August 2015. Also known as "Vinny", the 23-year old did not survive a colic attack.
Vincent St. James was euthanized by Sally Isaac's vet Chris Peterson after the horse sustained a severe colic attack. The horse spent a happy retirement at Isaac's.
"I don’t need to tell most of you that Vinny was our once in a lifetime horse," Isaac wrote. "For all of us that choose to have these amazing animals as part of our lives, will know and understand what we are going through right now. I also don’t need to tell you what an amazing horse he was, he wasn’t the biggest, flashed moving dressage horse we had ever seen. He was just an ordinary Kiwi horse with one of the biggest hearts in the world. I will never be able to thank him enough for the joy he gave both Bill and I and for what he taught us, all the high’s and the lows, the happiness and the tears we shared them all. He had his quirks and funny ways but he always gave a 100%."
Vincent St. James was a New Zealand bred Thorougbred cross born in 1993 and bred by D.M. Bush. He was by Whards Son out of Valea.
Under New Zealand Grand Prix rider Bill Noble, Vincent St. James made his international Grand Prix debut in March 2007 at the CDI-W Taupo, which they won. They competed sparingly at the CDI's in Hastings and Taupo until March 2008.
The bay gelding had a show break in 2009 and returned to the arena under Sally Isaac in March 2010. The new pair contested the CDI's in Feiling and Hastings in 2011 and 2012. Their last international was the CDI Hastings in March 2012 after which the horse was retired at age 19.
Bill Noble fondly commemorates Vinny as a rockstar horse: "He was the – penultimate – proverbial - Kiwi horse – The big Rock Star, the big party animal who knew he was the Jimmy Hendrix, the Jim Morrison of horses out there. The star who would hold the big concert, sing his guts out and trash the hotel room afterwards in celebration. He brought excitement. He was the horse that when he entered the big Arena it was as if the big lights at the Rugby stadium were turned on. The big hearted hard to control show freak. He took us all like groupies on a whirl wind trip around fame and glory somewhere from 2005 to 2008 where he won 3 times Horse of the Year (HOYS) titles and National titles in succession. He was the first “brumby’ big arsed power house we’d had rock the stadium."
Related Links
Bill Noble, "Every Man's Story is Important, Unique"
Angela Fergusson, A Fresh Face for Horse of the Year 2008
Angela Fergusson wins New Zealand Horse of the Year Title over Experienced Riders
Hattrick for Noble at 2007 New Zealand Horse of the Year Show
Bill Noble, 2007 New Zealand Dressage Champion
Vincent St James and Monique III, NZ Horses of the Year
New Zealand Horse of the Year Show to Stay in Hawke's Bay