Brilliant, Sophia Obel's European Junior Kur Gold Medal Winner, Passed Away

Dressage

Denmark

Brilliant, the Oldenburg gelding that took Danish Sophie Obel to the Kur gold medal at the 2022 European Junior Riders Championships in Hartpury, has passed away. The horse did not survive a severe bout of colic.

Brillant was a 10-year old Oldenburg gelding by Bretton Woods out of Die Minelli (by Diamond Hit)

Licensed Stallion

Bred by Paul Schockemöhle at Gestut Lewitz, Brilliant is from a famous mare line. Dam Die Minelli also produced Grand Prix horses Siebenstein (by Sir Donnerhall / under Mirelle van Kemenade), and small tour horses Flaconi (by Furst Romancier / under Florian Tupker), Furst Diamond PS (by Furst Romancier / under Zina Facklam), and Bundeschampion Special Diva (by Sir Donnerhall / under Heiko Klausing).

At the 2014 AOS auction the 2-year old colt sold for 220,000 euro to the Danish Priess Horses. A few weeks later Brilliant became the champion of the 2014 Mecklenburger Stallion Licensing.

He was first competed in Denmark by Marie Witt Poulsen in 2016 and three year later, in 2019 Lotte Skjærbæk presented him at national shows until September 2020. He was gelded to be focused on sport.

Sophia Obel Jorgensen

In the autumn of 2020 Brilliant became the future junior rider's horse of Danish pony team rider and medal winner Sophia Obel Jorgensen.

Sold to Stald Foldager, Brilliant made his international show debut in the junior division in June 2021 at the CDI-J Hagen Future championships. They won the 2021 Danish Junior Riders Championships and showed they had much in store for the future

In 2022 the pair went full throttle, competing at the CDI Lier, earning a triple victory at the CDI Aalborg, and scoring in the seventies at the CDIO-J Hagen. They represented Denmark at the 2022 European Junior Riders Championships in Hartpury where they won individual test silver and Kur gold.

They finished the year in an impressive way with their second, consecutive Danish Junior Riders Champion's title.

Colic

At the 2022 European Junior Championships

Brilliant's life and his sport career with Sophia Obel were tragically cut short, when the horse suffered a severe bout of colic one week ago

He was transported to the equine clinic where he underwent a first operation. Obel wrote at the time, "my heart is in a thousand piece’s right now. My best friend suddenly got really bad yesterday and we rushed him to the hospital and last night he had surgery. We have been with him the whole night and this morning, but we can’t do anything other then just wait."

Unfortunately the horse had to undergo a second operation on Monday morning 31 October 2022, but unfortunately could not be saved.

"There was just nothing to do," a heart broken Obel explained. "The sky got the biggest star ever today. We have to say goodbye to the most loving horse I have ever met, the biggest star, my forever best friend, my partner in crime, my dance partner, and my everything. I can't describe how much I will miss you. You mean everything to me. I will never forget you."