Lars Petersen's former Grand Prix horse Succes has passed away on Sunday 19 February 2017. The Danish warmblood gelding was 22 years old and had to be euthanized due to a fatal colic attack in the paddock.
Succes was bred by Per Berg and was by Silvermoon out of Wapiti (by World Cup).
The grey gelding was discovered by Lars as a 2.5 year old and came to the U.S. when Lars and his former wife Mette relocated from Denmark to the States. He was originally called Dansko's Succes with the prefix referring to Mette's company.
The gelding made his international Grand Prix debut in 2007. While the horse booked numerous international vcitories at CDI's in Raleigh, Devon, Saugerties, Cincinnati, Wellington and Palm Beach between 2007 and 2009, he was never selected on the Danish team for an (inter)continental championship. Petersen and Succes came close to the 2008 Olympics but they had to withdraw due to the difficult logistics being based in the U.S. with Danish Olympic qualifiers taking place in Europe.
At the end of the grey gelding's career he began to struggle with soundness issues as a collapsed heel had to be carefully managed throughout his career. In 2010 Succes was twice entered for the CDI's in West Palm Beach but had to withdraw each time. Melissa Taylor went back on board and competed schoolmaster Succes three times at the U.S. Championships in Gladstone gaining valuable Grand Prix mileage on him. The horse was retired from competition in 2012.
Succes spent five years in retirement at Chris and Melissa Sanders' Atlergait Farm in Nottingham, PA, which was "just a wonderful farm to be retired at. Succes had a 14 x 14 loddon stall, daily turn out, groomed daily and Chris does night check himself and he always gave carrots," she told Eurodressage.
Succes was known for his playful temperament and cheeky behaviour. "I remember warming up Succes at the old Palm Beach Derby and they were ringing the bell for me to enter and Succes and I were bucking through the warm up above Michael Barisone's head. He was on Neruda," Melissa joked.
The grey Danish warmblood was known for his exceptional piaffe-passage work. "His transitions from piaffe to passage and the piaffe itself were unreal. You did nothing; a wonderful feeling," said Taylor. "My best memory of him was the Grand Prix ride in Gladstone. We finished 6th closely behind all the others and, of course, in the Grand Prix Special he pulls a "Succes " and I went right back down in the rankings."
Photos © Sue Stickle - Astrid Appels
Related Links
Eurodressage Photo Database: Succes
Lars Petersen Withdraws as Danish Olympic Team Candidate
Lars Petersen Withdraws from Danish Olympic Selection Trial Process
Petersen and Succes Prove Worthy of Cover Shot at Wellington Classic Dressage Spring Challenge
Trakehner Sire Silvermoon Passed Away