Heike Kemmer's Olympic Medal Winning Horse Bonaparte Passed Away

Dressage

Germany

Heike Kemmer's Olympic team gold and individual bronze medal winning horse Bonaparte has passed away. He was put to sleep on 5 August 2023 at the age of 30.

Bonaparte was by Bon Bonaparte out of Cattieya (by Consul x Akzent II x Marsala). He was bred by Monika Jacob-Goldeck.

From Foal to Grand Prix

Bonaparte was discovered by Heike's father Joachim in the herd at breeder Jacob-Goldeck in Wedemark. He arrived in Kemmer's barn as a weanling when she first saw him. He was saddle broken by an assistent, who also competed him in his first young horse tests.

Heike began riding Bonaparte as a 7-year old and in a year time he was produced to Grand Prix level. Their first major FEI level success was when they won the Nurnberger Burgpokal Finals in Frankfurt in 2001.

Bonaparte followed in the footsteps of Kemmer's first German team horse Albano and became her career-making Grand Prix horse. In 2002 Kemmer and Bonaparte were awarded the Otto Lorke Prize for best upcoming young Grand Prix horse in Germany and he was named Hanoverian of the Year in 2004. they were fourth at the 2004 World Cup Finals. They became the 2005 and 2006 German Grand Prix Champions.

The pair has been instrumental for the German Grand Prix team winning gold at the 2004 Olympic Games, 2005 European Championships, and the 2006 World Equestrian Games. Individually they dropped out after the Grand Prix at the Athens Olympics. At the 2005 Europeans they ended up 25th, while at the 2006 WEG in Aachen they were 7th in the Special and 5th in the Kur.

In 2007 the pair dropped to the reserve team spot for the European Championships in Turin.

The highlight of their career was team gold and individual bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong, where they got team gold and individual bronze.

Kemmer briefly returned to the show ring in the spring of 2009 and though they were successful, also at the 2009 CDIO Aachen, an injury prevented the pair from getting back on the team for the 2009 European Championships in Windsor.

Lyme Disease and Retirement

The pair did not return to the show circuit in 2010 because the chestnut suffered from Lyme disease which quietly led to his official retirement. The 2009 CDIO Aachen became the Bonaparte's last competition. Kemmer continued her competition career with Royal Rubin and Feliciano.

In October 2011 Bonaparte bid farewell to competition sport at the national dressage competition German Classics. They performed their famous Beach Boys freestyle a final time in front of the audience after which they received flowers and a grand applause from the audience.

Bonaparte went on to live more then 12 years in happy retirement at Kemmer's Amselhof in Walle, Germany. He was euthanized on Saturday 5 August following a box accident.

"When he got up in his stall in the morning, he suffered such a serious injury that it would be impossible for him to go living," Kemmer explained. "Still it was a very, very difficult decision to let him go after 30 wonderful years together. And so I was also by his side on his last difficult walk, which he walked with dignity."

Tribute

Kemmer announced the news of Bonaparte's passing on Facebook and added a tribute

"Oh my Bo, I miss you, we miss you and your pasture partner Betty every day. It's so sad that you don't neigh at me anymore and ask for carrots, you don't call for Betty to graze, and that your meadow is empty when I ride by. Your happy head nods with the request for tender strokes, especially around the eyes, is missing. You are missing!! You are not only my Olympic champion but also my heart horse, and we were allowed
to journey 30 great years together.

Kemmer and a retired Bonaparte
(Photo © private)

As a weanling, I was able to see you grow up, accompany you while being saddle broken and at your first show starts, until we finally became a team and, thanks to your willingness to perform, things went steeply uphill with us. But it wasn't just the success that counted, it was the great moments in between. Watching the arena while being hand-walked in the morning, walking the lines, waltzing with you - taking you on the grass fields of the eventers in Aachen - and your very self-determined grazing, always showing the direction in a friendly manner - and I just followed

Those were the moments when we both could let loose, to later to become one again in the arena....

Thank you, my Bo, for 30 unforgettable, great and exciting years!!"