Russian Team Horse Awakening Passed Away

Dressage

Russia

Awakening, a Russian team horse under Tatiana Miloserdova and Evgenija Davydova, has passed away following a colic attack. She was 18 years old.

Awakening was a Dutch warmblood mare by Sandreo out of Remember (by Welt Hit II x Zeoliet). She was bred by E. Bakhuis.

Dutch Start

Breeder Bakhuis is specialised in breeding show jumping horses but Awakening was a side project.

The mare was reared in The Netherlands and produced three foals: in 2009 she produced a colt named Eef B (by Johson) and in 2010 she produced filly Florenza (by Johnson).

Awakening's half sister Zoe Claire (by Sir Sinclair) is competing at small tour level in the U.S.A. under Alisha Cygan.

Tatiana Miloserdova

Awakening sold to Italian based Russian Tatiana Miloserdova in 2013 who produced her to Grand Prix level.

""She was initially purchased together with her first foal by an enthusiast who wanted to breed with her," Miloserdova told Eurodressage. "After producing two more foals, the breeder decided to sell her. So the mare came to me in January 2013. In her training, I never had to use the whip, she always understood what I wanted without discussion."

The pair made its international show debut in 2015 at the CDI Vidauban and she competed her in Nice, Lipica, Arezzo, Fritzens, and Le Mans that year. In 2016 Tatiana and the 11-year old mare went full throttle in Caselle di Sommacampagna, Stadl Paura, Munich, Lipica, Fritzens, Nice and Biarritz.

Their career highlight year was 2017 which kicked off in Nice and followed a similar tract: Caselle, Stadl Paura, Lipica, Fritzens and Verden. They were selected on the Russian team for the 2017 European Dressage Championships in Gothenburg, where they scored 66.886% to finish 39th in the Grand Prix

Evgenija Davydova

Miloserdova gave the ride on Awakening to her student, Russian Evgenija Davydova as a Grand Prix schoolmaster.

Evgenija and the 12-year old mare kicked off their international career at the 2017 CDI Le Mans and in 2018 qualified on the russian team after solid scores at CDI's in Nice, Wiener Neustadt, Munich, Achleiten, and Fritzens. At the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, they finished 70th with 63.276%.

In 2019 the pair competed at the Olympic qualifier for Group C at Maxima Park near Moscow, where Russia secured a team ticket for Tokyo. Davydova and Awakening also competed on the Russian team at the 2019 European Championships in Rotterdam and were 51st with 67.282% in the Grand Prix.

The pair slowed down on their international starts after that. A year break followed between September 2019 and their come back in Ornago in October 2020. Eight months later they competed at the CDI Ornago in June 2021, their last internationa together. They were short-listed for Russian Olympic team selection but not picked.

Colic Early Demise

Unfortunately, Awakening passed away following a colic attack.

"The colic happened so suddenly that the time it took to transport her to the clinic played against her," said Miloserdova. "The intestines were wrapped around a lipoma and necrosis had started. This is a difficult loss for Evgenia and I, but the horse lived a decent life, full of love and care."

Miloserdova added that, "Evgenia supported Awakening like a princess until her last day, buying her apricots and peaches, which she loved very much. There was a real feeling between them. Unfortunately."