Active Walero Passed Away

Dressage

British Dressage News

British multiple team medal winning Grand Prix horse Active Walero has passed away last weekend at age 25. He was euthanized following a short illness.

The Hanoverian branded Walero was born in 1991 at Otto Johannes' yard in Germany. He was by Wanderer out of Marata (by Matcho AA x Widerhall x Altenwalde).

He made his show debut in Germany at A-level in 1995 under Franz-Werner Teigeler. In 1998 he was shown by Sophie Ludewig at M-level and she competed him up to Prix St Georges level until 1999. In 2001 Norbert van Laak briefly showed the horse at national Grand Prix level in Germany and in 2002 the horse sold to Fiona James in Great Britain as ride for Nicola McGivern.

Nicola and "Active Walero" won team bronze at the 2003 European Championships in Hickstad and competed at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Nicola campaigned Walero until 2009 and had their last show together at the CDI Hickstead.

Nicola McGivern and Walero at the 2004 CDIO Aachen In 2010 the horse appeared on the international show scene under young rider Susannah Coleridge Smith. She was the highest placed Brit at the 2010 European Young Riders Championships in Kronberg, Germany. After an unsuccessful attempt to retire the bay gelding, Roberta Hayler rode him at the 2012 European Young Riders Championships for the British team.

"He has been a huge part of my life and an absolute gentleman for almost 15 years," said Walero's owner Fiona James. "He's also had a large sense of humour at times! One of my favourite memories was of him taking off squealing with Bobby in the 2012 YR Europeans just to prove he wasn't too old to have travelled all the way to Bern."

Walero spent his last years in retirement being cared after by Donna Hughes and Sarah Randall.