Emma Booth's Mogelvangs Zidane Died Unexpectedly

Australia

Australian Paralympian Emma Booth lost her top horse Mogelvangs Zidane on 8 March 2022. The 20-year old Danish warmblood gelding succumbed to a seizure.

Mogelvangs Zidane was by Blue Hors Hertug out of Valdivia (by Manstein). He was bred by Hannah and Jan Torp in Denmark.

Triple Team Representation

Zidane was imported and first competed in Australia by Malaysian Petra Lee in the mid 2010s. Lee and Booth both train with Danish born Australian Lone Jorgensen and when Booth had two unsuccessful trips to Europe to shop for horses, she tried out Zidane at home and it was love at first sight.

Booth bought the gelding in 2015, two years after she became a paraplegic.

Booth made her international show debut in Grade II at the CPEDI Boneo on 20 January 2016 and represented Australia at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, where they were 13th and 5th. They moved up to Grade III and went the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Caen, where they were 4th and 5th. This year at the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo, they placed 11th in the team test and 5th in the Freestyle at Grade III.

Sudden Passing

On Tuesday 8 March, Zidane was taken to an equine clinic for a minor standing surgery to remove a broken tooth. Unfortunately the 20-year old gelding had a seizure, couldn’t be resuscitated, and sadly passed away.

"I’m still in shock, am shattered and completely heartbroken to have lost my one-in-a-million and best friend too soon," said a devastated Booth.

Booth credits Zidane for "bringing purpose and meaning to my life after becoming a paraplegic in 2013. (...) Zidane gave his entire heart to everything he did, and truly earned an equally appropriate retirement, which I am so saddened he didn’t get to enjoy. I thought I would have so many more years to love and spoil this horse than what I got. I wanted to give him the retirement he deserved, and pay him back for all the amazing years of elite competition and life experience he gave to me."

Booth continued, "Zidane came into my life when I needed him most (...). I’m forever grateful for the years of joy he brought to my life and the amazing adventures we went on together."