Swedish Grand Prix Team Horse Lennox Passed Away

Dressage

Sweden

The internationally competed Grand Prix horse Lennox, who took Swedes Cecilia Dorselius and Sanna Nilsson into the big ring, has passed away. He was 22 years old.

Lennox was a Westfalian gelding by Laurentianer out of Fenestra (by Florestan x Rosenkavalier x Fruhbote). He was bred by Christoph Thiemann.

Cecilia Andren Dorselius

The bay gelding was discovered and bought by Swedish amateur dressage rider Cecilia Dorselius as a youngster in Germany.

The pair finished 11th in the 6-year old finals of the 2005 Swedish Young Dressage Horse Championships.

Dorselius, who is a tax accountant by profession, trained the horse up to Grand Prix level and exceeded all expectations and fulfilling her dreams. They did their first Grand Prix test in 2010 and after an international Grand Prix debut at the 2011 CDI Radzionkow, where they placed second twice, they qualified on the Swedish team for the 2011 European Dressage Championships in Rotterdam. They finished 38th in the Grand Prix (66.763%) and at the end of 2011 were nominated for the "Comet of the Year" title.

In 2012 they were well on their way to Olympic team selection but had to drop out mid-season in May right before the CDI Wiesbaden. Initially it was announced that Lennox suffered from a skin condition which required medical treatment, but in the end the horse had a whole year off from international competition.

"He had a sarcoid that grew and grew and started to bleed," Dorselius told Eurodressage. "I finally found a special treatment from the UK and it was similar to a cytotoxic treatment. It finally fell off but there was a big wound that needed to heal. Since it could not train during the treatment we had to take a long leave for competitions."

Dorselius and Lennox at the 2013 CDIO Rotterdam

They returned to the CDI ring at the 2013 CDI Wiesbaden and competed in Rotterdam and Falsterbo that summer but were not selected on the Swedish team for the 2013 Euros.

In 2014 Dorselius put in her last run for team selection for the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen and cmpeted in Vidauban, Wiesbaden, Rotterdam and Falsterbo, but ended up being named travelling reserve. The home show in Falsterbo was their last as a combination.

At national level, Dorselius and Lennox competed at several Swedish Grand Prix Championships. They were fourth in 2011, got silver in 2013, and bronze in 2014.

Sanna Nilsson

In the autumn of 2015, Lennox sold to Swedish Sanna Nilsson as her future Under 25 Grand Prix ride.

The pair made its CDI show debut at the 2016 CDIO Compiegne, where they were third in the Short Grand Prix with 69.605%. They were selected on the Swedish team for the inaugural European Under 25 Championships in Hagen, where they made it to the Kur to Music finals to place 13th. They were fourth at the 2016 Swedish Under 25 Championship.

In 2017 they moved into the senior ranks and competed at internationals in Stadl Paura, Wiener Neustadt, Falsterbo, and the 2017 Nordic Baltic Championships in Hammaro, where they were third in the Special. They were fifth at the 2017 Swedish Grand Prix Championships for seniors.

Lennox had a year off from CDI's in 2018 but returned to the arena far away from home, at the 2019 CDI Zhashkiv in the Ukraine, where they achieved four fourth placed. They finished the year competing in Central Europe with starts in Pilisjaszfalu, Mariakalnok and Zakrzow, the latter show being the horse's last at age 20.

Retirement

Lennox was retired from competition sport at the end of 2019 and stayed with Nilsson.

On 28 December 2021 the gelding passed away age 22.

"He have always had a bit of a struggle with his body, so me and Cecilia took the decision to let him go before it was to bad and he had to suffer. It was a really tough decision, but we know it was the best for him," Nilsson told Eurodressage.

In a tribute on social media, Nilsson wrote: "You have shown me so much of the world. It is an honor to have you on the journey. You have been there for me in the darkest times. You were the light in the deepest battles of life," Nilsson wrote in a heartfelt tribute to her horse. "You gave me reason to heal in all situations, despite all the medicine and all the surgeries, you took your role as a hero very seriously, carried me over the finish line and faithfully stayed by my side."

Rider Health Struggles

Nilsson saw Lennox as a beacon of light and a reason to fight through personal health struggles that affected her life the past fifeen years.

Sanna and Lennox at the 2016 CDIO Aachen

"I have several chronic diseases and the most aggresive one is endometriosis," Nilsson told Eurodressage. "During my time with Lennox, I have been medicated with antineoplastic drugs and done two big operations, the last one radical hysterectomy. On many shows I have been so sick, but Lennox literally has carry me to that last centerline and helped me through everything, both physically and mentally."

Lennox was a steady rock in her life, even during his retirement from competition sport.

"Lennox have been retired at our farm the last two years," said Nilsson. "My plan were to show him 2020 on some smaller shows but due to Corona and my health he got retired a bit early. I was in lockdown in 10 months because i'am in high risk with bad immune system. But we have trained as the good old days at home and he showed of in amazing passage all the way to the end! A few students of mine have got the chance to sit on him the last year and he loved his chance to be "professor Lennox" and show all of his best tricks!"

Nilsson will continue her competitive career at national level aboard the 11-year old Belgian warmblood mare Eva's Voice (by Voice x Alabastro S Extra), who is bred by para dressage rider Ciska Vermeulen.

"We will compete small tour 2022, but the goal is Grand Prix in a few years," Nilsson explained. "I have some other young horses, but are looking for a new star as well. I'm starting to feel strong and stable enough to take on training for more horses again after several operations with long recovery the last 15 years."