Judy Harvey's Fitzcerraldo Passed Away

Dressage

Great Britain

Judy Harvery, British Dressage's international director and a former international Grand Prix rider, said goodbye to her penultimate international dressage horse, Fitzcerraldo. He was put to sleep on 6 February 2023.

Fitzcerraldo was a rising 25-year old Sachsen-Anhalt bred gelding by Feuerbrand out of Asternblute II (by Ajan xx x Jupiter II x Guam).

Roland Tong

The bay gelding was born in 1998 and bred by the Gottburgsen breeders' group.

He was discovered and bought "very, very cheaply" by Harvey as a 3-year old and was a rambunctious character. "There are rather a lot of us who got bucked off him," said Harvey.

Fitzcerraldo was first competed by Irish Roland Tong as a youngster. He premiered as a 5-year old in 2003 at Addington Manor at Novice level.

Tong and Fitzcerraldo at the 2004 WCYH in Verden

The pair competed at the 2004 World Championships for young dressage horses in Verden, where they were 9th in the consolation finals for 6-year olds.

Tong competed the horse for three years through the early spring of 2005 after which Judy Harvey took over the competition ride at Medium and Advanced Medium level in May 2005.

Judy Harvey

Harvey sold the horse to Richard Heley but retained the ride.

In 2006 they moved up to small tour level and finished first in the Intermediaire I and second in the Inter I Kur at the 2006 British Dressage Championships. They made a winning grand prix debut at Patchetts in August 2007.

Their international show debut was in 2008 at the CDI Hartpury and from then on competed at numerous internationals through 2014. They showed in Hickstead, Saumur, Vejer de la Frontera, London, Zwolle, Addington, Pompadour, Vierzon, Sevilla, Biarritz, Vidauban, and Hagen. Their last international was in Vierzon in July 2014.

They won four international classes: the Grand Prix at the CDI Vierzon in 2010 (68.638%), the Grand prix and Special at the 2010 CDI Sevilla (67.958% and 66.208%), and the freestyle at the 2014 CDI Pompadour (69.050%).

Their last major show was the 2014 British Dressage Championship, where they were 13th in the Grand Prix.

Cushings

Fitzcerraldo was retired at the end of 2014 at age 16

"We stopped competing him when he was diagnosed with Cushings but he continued working as a school master giving so many specially selected riders the opportunity to experience the advanced work," Harvey reminisced. "Only very recently he stopped working in the school and would just have a stroll down the lane each day."

Judy returned to the international stage in 2016 for one season on the KWPN bred Blitz (by Rubiquil x Osmium).

A Sad Farewell

On 6 February 2023 Harvey decided it was time to let go of Fitzcerraldo.

"Today is the day that I have been dreading," she explained. "We said our final goodbyes to the wonderful Fitzcerraldo. At 24 years old and having battled with Cushings and then EMS since he was 16, this week he was looking uncomfortable and not his usual self, there was nothing more the vets could do for him, it was time."

Judy looks back on a fabulous time with this horse

"Thank you Richard Heley for allowing me the honour of riding this fabulous horse. Fitz took me to National Titles, International Grand Prix victories and team slots that gave me my coveted Team Flag. We travelled all over Europe together spending many weeks in the winter training with Bert Rutten in the Netherlands. Rest in peace my friend, you changed my life."