American Grand Prix rider Jessica Jo Tate has lost her schoolmaster Ehrenpreis to colic. The dark bay gelding took the young Tate from First Level to Grand Prix and Tate represented the U.S. with him at two North American Young Riders Championships.
The pensioner started to show mild colic signs last weekend. The vet did find a mass/impaction/ tumor but the horse was overall still feeling fine and remained happily in the paddock. However, on Tuesday evening 8 February 2012 the 32-year olds quietly passed away.
"He was ready to go when the vet got there and was not in much pain," Tate wrote. "He will be greatly missed. My heart hurts but glad he didn't suffer."
"I'm forever grateful to him," Tate said after the passing of her beloved schoolmaster. "He taught me more about myself than I probably cared to know! He was the most arrogant and intelligent horse I have ever encountered."
Ehrenpreis came to Tate when he was a 12-year old schoolmaster. "He did not waste any time letting me know that I knew nothing," Jessica Jo Tate said. "I remember spending the first two weeks crying after most rides because I could not even get him on the bit. Despite this bumpy start, it was the beginning of a remarkable partnership."
Tate and Ehrenpreis were members of the Region 2 dressage team at 1996 and 1997 North American Young Rider Championships and arned their USDF Bronze and Silver medals. In 1996 the pair embarked on a great educational adventure when they travelled to Hungary to train with Gyula Dallos. At Region 2 Championships in 1997, Ehrenpreis was the Prix St. George and the Intermediare I Musical Freestyle Champion.
Ehrenpreis, which was a Rhinelander gelding by Ehrensold out of Laetitia, spent the last seven years of his retirement at Toi Trent and Sandy Harris farm.
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