The Swedish warmblood licensed stallion Martini 744 passed away on Monday 23 April 2012. The 29-year old bay breeding stallion was euthanized at the veterinary hospital in Helsingborg, Sweden.
Just 7 months before his 30th birtday, Martini started to suffer from circulatory problems due to old age. Martini was Jan Brink's first big competition horse with which he won his first international medal.
Bred by Barbro and Goran Ahlqvist, Martini was born in 1983. He was sired by Marino out of an Utrillo x Gordon x Ingiald dam. He was owned by Marie and Johan Wiklund.
The bay gelding won the Stallion Performance testing in 1987. Brink and "Kleber Martini" finished sixth with the Swedish team at the 1993 European Championships in Lipica, Slovenia, and they were also were members of the bronze medal wining team at the 1997 European Championships in Verden, Germany.
"Martini was my first horse to win a medal on and he has meant a great deal to me," Brink stated. "We have been together for almost 28 years now. He will be burried on a small hill underneath a beautiful oak tree here at Tullstorp and we will make a memorial stone for him."
Martini sired 620 Swedish registered offspring of which stallions Martell and Fontana are amongst his most famous.
Photo © Van Lent
Related Links
History of the European Championships
Jan Brink Retires from International Competition Career