Former Dutch Team Pony Charina du Bois Passed Away

Dressage

The Netherlands

The former Dutch FEI Dresage team pony Charina du Bois has passed away at age 16. The chestnut mare succumbed to colic.

Under Jitske Prosman the Dutch Welsh mare Charina du Bois (by Danny Gold x Idzard) competed at international FEI pony level from 2014 till 2016.

The pair was a member of the Dutch B-team in 2014 and of the A-team in 2016. They won team bronze at the 2016 European Pony Championships in Vilhelmsborg, Denmark, and bronze at the 2016 Dutch Indoor Pony Championships.

In December 2017 Charina du Bois became a schoolmaster for the then 11-year old Dutch pony rider Welmoed Smals. Trained by Coby van Baalen, Prosman moved to junior level aboard Rom Vermunt's KWPN bred Gio (by Bretton Woods).

Charina du Bois was twice operated on for colic. She developed complications and got pleurisy from the anaesthesia, but recovered and even went back to work. Unfortunately Charina succumbed to another bout of colic in the night to 12 February 2019.

"She was a golden pony, but despite the fact that she is incredibly string, she didn't win the battle against colic," said Prosman. "I'm so incredibly proud of her and very grateful for the six amazing years we spent together. I owe her everything."