Cabral (JP), the 16-year-old Polish-bred dark bay gelding ridden by Great Britain’s para-dressage rider Natasha Baker, has been put down. The horse developed a fatal clostridia bacterial infection after he suffered a minor cut in his field on Feb. 22nd, and despite being closely monitored by a vet, had to be euthanized on Feb. 26th.
JP, who had been ridden by Baker since 2009, was owned by dressage judge, trainer and rider Christian Landolt and Natasha’s parents, Phil and Lorraine. Together the pair won a total of five European Championship gold medals, a gold and silver at the 2014 WEG, and five Paralympic gold medals in London and Rio.
“I’m writing this with a totally broken heart,” Baker wrote on her Facebook page “This weekend I suddenly lost my soul mate, my best friend and my dancing partner. JP was a horse like no other, a true legend. He was discovered by fluke and I instantly knew he was ‘the one’. He made my dreams come true over and over again. We’ve had the best journey together and he has given me memories I will treasure forever. I cannot thank him enough.”
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