Melissa Taylor's Schumacher Sølyst Passed Away

Dressage

U.S.A.

American Grand Prix rider and professional Melissa Taylor had to say goodbye to her career making Grand Prix horse, Schumacher Søllyst. He was turning 25 in the spring.

Schumacker Sølyst was born in 1994 at Poul Erik Pedersen's yard in Vinder, Denmark. He was by Schwadroneur out of Patricia Sølyst (by Ragtime x Kadett).

The gelding arrived in the U.S.A. together with Lars Petersen and his ex-wife Mette Kjellerup in 2002. He was then owned by Petersen in partnership with Irwin LePow of Sugar Hill Farm. Mette competed the gelding first at fourth level and small tour in the winter of 2002-2003 after which he sold to Melissa Taylor.

Taylor made her CDI show debut on "Schumi" at the 2003 CDI Raleigh at small tour level. The pair became highly successful at that level from 2003 till 2007. In 2007 they were the second reserves for the U.S. Pan American Games team.

Her now husband Lars Petersen briefly competed the horse at Grand Prix level in the spring of 2008 to show Schumacher the ropes after which Taylor took over in the autumn. They competed at international Grand Prix level from September 2009 till September 2013. In their last two years they focused on the North American League World Cup qualifiers. Taylor and Schumacker''s final competition on Schumacker was the 2013 CDI Devon.

In his last sport year in 2014, Schumacker was a schoolmaster for Taylor's students Katryna Evans who competed him nationally at small and big tour level (Under 25) and she earned her USDF Gold Medal on him.

"I know he wasn’t the biggest super star in the world but he was to me," a saddened Taylor told Eurodressage. "He taught me so much and took me down that centerline so many times. He took me to the Gladstone National Championship in small tour and big tour several times. He was my good friend for so many years. Thankfully he had a wonderful retirement with us."

Melissa remembers Schumacker as a real trooper.

"He truly was the little engine that could He went through colic surgery, splint bone surgery, and got shipping fever badly on one trip and ended up with a heart murmur and he always came back stronger than ever," said Melissa. "(U.S. team vet) Rick Mitchell would always say "I wish I had his genes"."

Schumacker spent his retirement in the field as the king and professor. Shortly after his daily turnout, Schumacker was found dead in his stall. He was turning 25 in the spring.

"Before the ladies had their foals, he was turned out with them and he thought he was the King," Taylor explained. "Then he became the baby sitter of Notorious (by Everdale x Jazz) and he played daily with him and taught him some manners. (Yesterday) he was out in pasture all day with his little colt friend Notorious. An hour later the girls went to pick through his stall and he was flat out. Either had a heart attack or aneurysm."