Sandra Sterntorp's drop dead gorgeous Swedish warmblood gelding Greetings has passed away on Thursday 9 February 2012. The beautiful dapple grey stallion was euthanized in a German equine clinic following a neurlogical disorder.
Greetings was an 8-year old gelding, bred by Malin and Dag Erlandsson and owned by Ingrid Nystrom. The grey was by Don Romantic out of Menuette (by Nocturne x Utrillo x Excellens).
"My heart bleeds. I carry the world's greatest sorrow," Sandra Sterntorp added. "My beautiful, beloved friend Gregor has passed away today. I am so grateful that I have been honoured to take part of his life and to have him in my life. Gregor was a special friend who will always be in my heart and in my memories. He gave me many great and wonderful moments and there's no one like him."
Greetings became ataxic in the summer of 2011. It took several specialists in Denmark and Germany to search for the cause of his problem. The issue was based on a neurological level because the grey was difficult to control on one side. The horse was brought to Dr Jahn's equine clinic in Bargteheide, Germany.
"We were hoping that they could do an operation, but his body didn't recover," Sterntorp told Eurodressage. After a myelography the horse was unable to move his legs or stand up. It was decided to have him humanely put down. Sterntorp added that an necropsy will be carried out to determine the exact cause of the problem. "We don't really know what happend with him."
"The veterinarians believe that it was a tumour in his neck which pressed on the spinal cord because the process went so fast at the end," Sterntorp's partner Andreas Jonsson told Ridsport. "The only thing that feels good today is that he was always alert and happy and did not show to be in pain. Still it feels terrible."
Sterntorp and Greetings were sixth at the 2008 Swedish Young Horse Championships and made it to the big tyme by finishing 12th in the 5-year old consolation finals at the 2009 World Young Horse Championships in Verden, Germany. One year later they were fourth in the consolation finals of the 6-year old division at the 2010 World Championships. In 2011 the gelding made the transition to small tour level and was successful in the Prix St Georges classes at national level.
Photos © Astrid Appels
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