Emma Kanerva's Sini Spirit Passed Away

Dressage

Finland

Emma Kanerva's career making Grand Prix horse Sini Spirit has passed away last week. The 22-year old had begun to suffer from a heart condition and was euthanized.

Sini Spirit was a Hanoverian gelding by Espri out of Galina (by Glucksgriff x Woermann). He was bred by U. Wiechert and owned by Monica Brotherus' company Sinituote Oy.

Spirit was first competed in Germany by Finnish Emma Kanerva in 2007 at small tour level. They moved up to Grand Prix level in 2008. At the time Kanerva was working as a bereiter for Hubertus Schmidt.

Their first major championship was the 2008 Nordic Baltic in Aarhus. They went on to represent Finland at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, where they were 24th in the Special. They also rode at the 2011 European Championships in Rotterdam (30th in the GPS) and at the 2012 Olympic Games (22nd in the GPS). Their last show together was the 2013 European Championship in Herning, where they finished 50th in the Grand Prix.

Emma Kanerva and Sini Spirit at the 2012 Olympic Games

In 2014, German Philip Lütkemeier rode Spirit in an M-level test at a local show in Borchen-Etterln and one year later exactly, Mali de Sainte Fare rode the gelding at the exact same local show, also in an M-level dressage horse test. This was Spirit's last competition in his career.

Kanerva competed at the 2012 Olympic Games in London with Spirit and is representing Finland at the 2015 European Championships in Aachen this week with Solina.

The last three years Spirit spent his retirement at his owner Monica Brotherus' place, Erkyla park, in Finland. He has been buried next to Åtoftens Volanti.