Dutch Junior Rider's Horse Take it Easy Passed Away

Dressage

The Netherlands

The Dutch Junior rider's Horse Take It Easy has passed away at age 20. He was euthanized because of health issues.

Take it Easy was a Dutch warmblood gelding by Florestan out of Weltduft (by Castro x Welt As). He was bred by the Wezenberg family and originally named Tyrone.

The chestnut first came into the spotlight under Wilmer Lanning, before the De Koeyer family acquired the liver chestnut in 2012 from horse dealer Tim Coomans. The horse then had changed its name to Take it Easy.

Under Jasmien de Koeyer, he represented The Netherlands at the 2013 European Junior Riders Championships in Compiègne, where they won team silver and finished fifth in the kur to music.

They were selected to compete at the 2014 European Junior Riders Championships in Arezzo, but right before departure to Italy had to withdraw because the horse was not 100% fit to compete.In 2014 the pair won the ZZ-Zwaar Dutch Indoor Championships.

In 2015 the duo competed at four internationals: Drachten, Nieuw en St. Joosland, Roosendaal and Compiegne, before selling to pony rider Felice Blaauw who would make her transition to junior level on this horse.

Blaauw made her CDI debut at junior level on Take it Easy at the 2016 CDI Lier. The pair's international career was heavily interrupted due to injures. They came back in April 2016 at Nieuw en St. Joosland and then two years later in 2018 at the same show. In 2018 they also did the CDI Aachen and Leudelange. The show in Luxembourg was their last international.

"Your health was not optimal, which brought us often to vets and you were often on rest; still we were able to do junior and young riders, so my hat's off for you," said Blaauw on Facebook. "I'm grateful for what you taught me, also that you never have to give up even if everything is against you. You proved that. What a fighter you were."

"To take the decision to let you go was incredibly hard, but it was the best choice for you," said Felice. "To love someone also means to let go when it's better. Now you are no longer in pain and can sleep peacefully. You deserve that after all those years of hard work. You will always be in my heart, brightest star in heaven."