On the night of 7 May 2017 the 27-year old Russian dressage rider Ivan Antochika lost his battle against cancer. Ivan bravely battled lymphoblastic lymphoma for two years.
In the winter of 2016 Antochika was diagnosed with lymphoblastic lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He was immediately admitted to the Hematology Center at the Ministry of Health of Russia Clinic in Moscow for treatment and underwent bone marrow transplantation.
The Moscow based equestrian centres Maxima Park and Pradar raised funds to finance Ivan's expensive treatment. In February 2017 French judge Raphael Saleh taught a special master class to raise further money for Ivan's rehabilitation as he seemed on the road to recovery.
Unfortunately Antochika slipped into a coma in April and a major international effort was undertaken to get the special drug Phosphomycinum, which was unavailable in Russia, to Ivan. Dressage friends Elena Zhogina and Larissa Bushina got hold of it in Munich in granule form and later one another batch was provided in the better injectable form through the assistance of Peter Holler, Yuri Romanov and the Kasselmann family. The first injections were done on 3 May but they were to no avail. Ivan passed on 7 May.
Ivan had a short but successful career as a dressage rider in Russia. Aboard Inessa Merkulova's chestnut Trakehner gelding Stanley (by Khapun x Mezon) Antochika represented Russia at the 2010 European Junior Riders Championships in Kronberg, Germany.
From 2012 till 2015 he took the PRE bred Zingaro (by Amoroso XIV out of Faraona XXXI) from small tour level, through the Under 25 division and up to Grand Prix and competes at numerous CDI's held in Russia. He last competed internationally in September 2016 on the then 6-year old Russian bred Cinnamon (by Concorde) in the young horse classes at the CDI-YH Moscow before the disease hit him.
Antochika's funeral is scheduled for 11 May at the ceremony hall of the Troekurov cemetery.
Photos © Astrid Appels
Related Links
Raphael Saleh Master Class in Moscow to Benefit Ivan Antochika's Recovery from Lymphoma
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