Morgan Barbançon Loses Grand Prix Horse Deodoro

Dressage

France

French Olympian Morgan Barbançon has lost Grand Prix horse Deodoro, one of two Olympic hopefuls for the 2024 Games in Paris. He was euthanized on 8 August 2023.

Deodoro was a 12-year old Westfalian gelding by Damon Hill out of a Lauries Crusasor xx dam. He was bred by Christian Becks.

Licensed Stallion

Deodoro was presented at the 2013 Westfalian Stallion Licensing in Munster.

The chestnut sold to Swedes Per Runesson and Johan Ifversson and had him licensed and performance tested in Sweden in 2016.

He stood up for stud at Gransbo stuteri and sired 45 offspring in Sweden. He was competed in Sweden by Minna Telde until 2017. Telde tried qualifying him for the 2016 World Young Horse Championships but did not get selected.

Morgan Barbancon

Barbancon bought the stallion from Ifversson after he had been gelded to be focused on sport.

The first year was an "adventure" as he manifested serious stallion behaviour and was very difficult to handle and ride. He once threw Morgan off and she fractured several bones. He only settled down after a year.

Morgan made her CDI show debut on him at small tour level at the 2019 CDI Ornago, rode him in the medium tour in 2020 and moved him up to Grand Prix by June 2021.

The pair gained mileage in Zandhoven and Fot that year, while in 2022 they competed in Ornago and Motesice. They really picked up speed and success this year at the Global Dressage Festival in Florida, where they won the Grand Prix at the CDI West Palm Beach, and achieved higher scores with each start in Wellington. Back in Europe they scored a double victory at the CDI Lipica and won the Grand Prix at the CDI Brno on 3 June 2023. It was their last international.

Untimely Passing

Today, Barbançon announced the sudden passing of the 12-year old. He suffered from laminitis and his health deteriorated rapidly in the last few days. It was decided in the best interest of the horse to put him to sleep.

"It's heart breaking, he left us way too early," a saddened Barbançon told Eurodressage.

On social media Morgan wrote, "yesterday having to say goodbye to you was the most heartbreaking moment of my life, you left us way too early! You left with a piece of my soul, you have been my biggest challenge, you taught me the most and I learned that giving up when things got difficult wasn’t an option. You are the proof that perseverance, hard work and love makes it happen. You were supposed to be a champion and to show the world the incredible horse you were but destiny chose otherwise."