Former Danish Team Pony Vegelin's Goya Passed Away

Dressage

Denmark

Vegelin's Goya, a former medal winning Danish team pony, has passed away on 9 November 2023. He was 20 years old.

Vegelin's Goya was a Dutch bred Welsh pony by Verona's Bo-Gi out of a Leuns Veld's Gibby (by Leuns Veld's Darling Boy). He was bred by Willem van Klaarbergen.

The breeder is best know as the breeder of the "Orchard" Welsh ponies, taking over the stud from his parents-in-law in 2006.

Maria and Louise Christensen

The gorgeous chestnut sold to Denmark to the Christensen family for daughters Maria and Louise to ride

He made his national show debut in 2010 with Maria Fauerholm Christensen. Their international show debut followed in January 2012 at the CDI Drachten.

The pair represented Denmark at the 2012 European Pony Championships in Fontainebleau, where they won team bronze and finished 11th in the Kur to Music Finals. A year later they returned on the team for the 2013 European Championships in Arezzo and were 9th in the Kur.

As of 2014 younger sister Louise Christensen took over the ride and she was fifth thrice at the 2015 European Pony Championships in Malmø. . At 2016 Europeans in Vilhelmsborg he got team silver and double individual bronze. At the 2017 Europeans in Kaposvar he got double silver and team silver.

Both Christensen sisters picked up 16 medals aboard this pony at Danish Championchips, Nordic Championships and European Championships

Rosenkilde Family

After the Europeans in November 2017, Goya sold as a schoolmaster to the Rosenkilde family.

The pony did not returned to international competition, but showed nationally through the summer of 2023 when he was already 20.

Margaratha Rosenkilde made her premier on Goya in January 2018 at a regional show in Skanderborg. She rode the Ecco cup circuit with him and was fourth in 2018. She competed him through January 2019 but then a long break from competition followed. Goya returned to the arena in July 2020 a year and a half later. The pair finished 10th at the 2020 Danish Pony Championships.

In 2021 it was Theresa Rosenkilde's turn to learn from the professor and in June 2022 Sofia Rosenkilde began competing him. Their last show together was the 2023 Danish Pony Championships which Sofia won with her younger pony, Cosmo Royale. Goya scored 68.282% in his last test

Early Demise

Unfortunately, Goya did not get to enjoy a retirement in the field. He developed an issue in his back which veterinarians couldn't solve.

"Two months ago he suddenly walked very strange through his body, we have done everything we could but couldn’t exactly find out what was wrong (the vet thinks it was a nerve who got stuck in his back)," Sofia explained. "He has been on very strong medication the last months, but nothing got better.. We took the hardest decision ever and let him rest for the pain. We have done everything we could to get him well but nothing worked out. He don’t deserve to live his life in pain."

Sofia remembers him as "the most beautiful, loving and kindest pony with the biggest personality in the entire world. You have done everything for us and without you nothing of this would have been possible. You have been the best teacher for all of us - We can’t thank you enough."