Alisa Glinka's Olympic Ride Abercrombie Passed Away

Dressage

Moldova

Alisa Glinka's Paris Olympic ride Abercrombie has passed away oN 13 November 2024. The 10-year old succumbed to colic.

Abercrombie was a Brandenburger stallion by Ampere out of Weinfee (by Wolkentanz II x Donnerhall). He was bred by Helga and Manfred Semmer at Gestut Horstfelde in Germany and originally named Achilles.

Alisa Glinka

Abercrombie was first competed as a 5-year old by Thomas Heim and owned by Andrea Gehrlein before he sold to Glinka.

The new duo made a winning international show debut in the 7-year old young horses classes at the CDI Zhaskiv in Ukraine (!) in May 2021. From there they went to Kharkiv (UKR) and won both classes, and then onto the CDI Samorin. They represented Moldova at the 2021 World Young HOrse Championships in Verden and placed 13th in the consolation final.

In 2022 Glinka premiered him in the medium tour at the CDI Olomouc and in 2023 they transitioned to Grand Prix level at the CDI Le Mans. That year they campaigned in Ornago, Mariakalnok, Brno, Pilisjaszfalu, Crozet, Bialy Las, Fot and Wroclaw. They won in Ornago and Mariakalnok with seventy percentage scores.

Glinka got pregnant and stopped competing for a while, until her first show again, immediately a big one, at the the 2024 World Cup Finals in Riyadh (KSA) but they didn't find their groove there. In addition, Glinka got suspended as she tested positive to a class S5. Diuretics and Masking Agents in Riyadh.

Through her efforts in 2023 Moldova had secured a historic first individual slot for Moldova at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. While she started a legal procedure to get her name cleared from the positive doping test, her only Moldovan country mate able to take over her Olympic slot, Tatiana Antonenco began a last minute campaign to qualify Abercrombie for Paris. She showed him in Lipica, Jardy, and Brno.

Fortunately right on time, Glinka succeeded in getting her suspension lifted through CAS by obtaining a retroactive therapeutic use exemption (RTUE) for the use of the prohibited substance in question.

The turmoil was not over yet as at the Olympics, Abercrombie initially was sent to the holding box, but on a second trot-up the judges panel accepted him. On 30 July 2024, Glinka was the first dressage rider ever for Moldova to ride on the Olympic centerline. She scored 66.056% to place 53rd in the Grand Prix. It was the pair's last competition.

Glinka trains in Germany with Rudolf Widmann.

Sad Ending

A few days ago tragedy struck as Abercrombie colicked and despite all efforts he could not be saved.

"A few days have passed and now, having opened my eyes from tears, I must say that after a severe attack of colic, I lost my beloved starlet Abercrombie," Glinka explained. "This affectionate, handsome stallion was an exceptionally special, sincere friend who was not afraid of anything at all and trusted me and all the people around him with all his heart. He was bright, funny, gentle, kind, talented and very very handsome. We managed to do so much with him and how much more we could have done."

Alisa concluded, "thanks to everyone who supported me and who loved him just as much. My heart is broken."