Anabel Balkenhol has lost her small tour horse Diamond Star. The Marbach state stud owned stallion collapsed and died during his warm up at the local Ankum Riding Club competition on Thursday 3 November 2016.
Balkenhol had scheduled to compete the 13-year old Oldenurg stallion (by Diamond Hit x Feiner Stern x Praefectus xx) in Thursday's Prix St Georges class in Ankum but during the warm up she felt her horse was not his usual self. A few minutes later he collapsed and died.
"I noticed in the warm up that something was wrong and jumped off straight away," said Balkenhol. "Diamond Star was fit and happy all the time, also during training, to handle and in is stall. "This is without a doubt the worst that can happen to a rider."
A vet was on the scene and confirmed the horse's passing. A necropsy followed at the equine clinic and the diagnosis was an aortic rupture
Balkenhol and Dr. Astrid von Velsen-Zerweck, managing director of the Marbach state stud, are both saddened by the loss of the stallion.
Anabel received the ride on Diamond Star in the autumn of 2011. The pair competed at just three international shows in their five year partnership. They contested the small tour at the 2013 CDI lingen, the 2014 CDI Hagen and the 2015 CDI Cappeln.
Photo © LL-foto
Related Links
Diamond Star, New Ride for Anabel Balkenhol
Photo Report: Snap Shots from the Prix St Georges at the 2014 CDI Hagen