The legendary dressage horse Rembrandt passed away at the age of 24 Tuesday October 30, 2001. Rembrandt's condition deteriorated so badly the last few weeks so that he was submitted to the veterinary hospital in Wattenscheid, Germany. At the end he could no longer get up and Uphoff decided to put him down.
Nicole Uphoff, owner, trainer and rider of this fabulous horse, won in total 21 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medal with this horse. The duo participated in the Olympic Games of Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996).
Rembrandt (by Romadour II x Angelo xx) was considered to be the first version of the modern dressage horse due to his lightness and classic training. Nicole Uphoff claimed Olympic team and individual gold with him in Seoul at the age of 22. She was the pioneer who created the era of dressage competition dominated by female riders. Isabell Werth and Anky van Grunsven followed Uphoff's footsteps.
Uphoff was unable to rise to stardom after she retired Rembrandt in 1996. Hermann's Grand Gilbert, Freudentanzer, Relevant, Rubinstein, none of these horses even moderately reflected the capabilities of Rembrandt.
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Nicole Uphoff Leaves Gestut VorwerkImage copyrighted: Arnd Bronkhorst