Lyndal Oatley's Dante's Herzchen Passed Away

Dressage

Australia

Dante's Herzchen, the Oatley family's up and coming Grand Prix horse, has passed away. The 11-year old mare was put to sleep due to laminitis.

Dante's Herzchen was an Hanoverian by Dante Weltino x Hochadel x Akzent I x Adlerfarn II. She was bred by Ilse Knief-Meyer.

Santiago Damil

The horse debuted in the show ring as a 7-year old under German based Spaniard Santiago Damil.

Damil premiered her in January 2021 at M-level in Unna-Massen, showed her in Mönchengladbach and Coesfeld, before he took her into the Prix St. Georges Special in the early summer in Kronberg, where all eyes were on the horse. The combination was also listed on the first participants list to ride the German selection trials for the 2021 World Young Horse Championships in Verden.

Lyndal Oatley

Though mediation of Michel Wantia, the mare sold to Carol and Andrew Oatley in the winter of 2021-2022 for their daughter Lyndal to ride.

With Lyndal at the 2024 Aachen Festival 4 Dressage

Oatley premiered the mare at the CDN Ankum on 21 January 2022 winning the Prix St Georges with 78.690%. The pair made its international show debut in May 2022 in Compiegne, where they won the Prix St Georges (71.441%¨) and placed second in the Inter I.

A two-year break from international showing followed. Nationally she premiered in the Inter II in February 2023 and a year later did her first national Grand Prix test in Ankum in February 2024. The pair returned to the CDI ring at Grand Prix level at the Aachen Festival 4 Dressage, where they were fifth in the Grand Prix (70.304%) and second in the Kur. Oatley did not want to campaign the then 10-year old mare for Australian Olympic team selection.

At the start of 2025 Oatley decided to pass on the ride to her husband, Patrik Kittel. In January he rode her at a regional show in Herbergen before their CDI debut in Hagen, where they posted 70.283% in the Grand Prix. A month later they showed in Munich for a 71.848% in the Grand Prix and 72.787% in the Special for second placec. It was the horse's last show.

Laminitis

In an Instagram post on 6 September 2025 Kittel disclosed that the mare came off the field with laminitis. Despite all efforts she could not be saved.

"Just days before Aachen you came in from the grass field and looked a bit sore on your feet, in my wildest nightmare I would not have imagined you having severe laminitis," Kittel explained. "We fought, you fought. You did not want to go, but it comes to a point where you have to let responsibility and your head take over your heart."

Kittel credited the tireless work of his vet, Cosima von Zaldern, for trying to save her.

Lyndal added, "what a journey and what an incredible horse you were. Shouldn’t be were .. You were destined for huge things.. you had the heart of a lion and you gave us everything and we loved you endlessly. I loved the moment I saw a photo of her .. I knew she was supposed to be with me . We did great things together .. got my first 10.. and I was excited to be by your side."