Ulla Salzgeber's Russian warmblood gelding Wall Street died unexpectedly after a severe colic attack the first week of June. On her return to Bad Worishofen from a one-week training session in Australia on June 5, 2005
, Salzgeber was confronted with the passing of her "heart breaker Wall Street."
The 15-year old Wall Street has been in Salzgeber's ownership since he was a 6-year old but he always stood in the shadow of her number one horse Rusty. Nevertheless, Wall Street won numerous competitions (Stadl Paura, Bartlgut) and was ranked at the top at shows such as the German Dressage Championships in Gera (2003) and CDI Munich (2005).
However, the past year Wall Street was on and off lame. "Wall Street never had that healthy robustness of Rusty and he always had to take breaks from competitions," Salzgeber explained. At the German selection trial for the 2005 European Championships in Aubenhausen, Salzgeber had to retire in the Special because Wall Street was uneven. "Then, I decided no longer to try for the Europeans, but I was still looking forward to many other competitions with Wall Street. I'm totally in shock. It's very difficult for me to go into the stable and see his empty stall. At the moment I would rather not hear anything from the sport or see any people," a saddened Salzgeber reported.
Salzgeber will not compete her youngsters at the show in Balve this weekend, but she will ride Rusty in the planned retirement ceremony. "I rode my first Carmina Burana kur with Rusty in Balve and will ride my last one there as well," she said. After Balve, Rusty and Ulla will appear only once more in the Appassionata Open Air show in Dresden on July 3, 2005.
Fortunately, Salzgeber will not give up being a competition rider in the future. "I have several very good seven and eight-year olds in my barn. The future will decide if there is an international caliber one amongst them, with which I reach the same level as Rusty. I will continue to ride shows because they are fun to me."
Photos copyrighted: Dirk Caremans
Related Link
Scores 2005 CDN Aubenhausen
Salzgeber Full Blast at the 2001 CDI-W Paris