Friesian Grand Prix Stallion Elias 494 Passed Away

Dressage

Belgium

Marc-Peter Spahn's retired international Grand Prix horse, the Friesian stallion Elias 494, has passed away. He was 16 years old.

Elias 494 was a Dutch bred Friesian by Jorn 430 out of Maaike Brechtsje D (by Maiko 373). He was bred by the Nuys family at Demro Stables and originally named Djorn van de Demro Stables.

International Grand Prix Career

Owned by the Swedish couple Linda Annell and Kristofer Johannsson, Elias 494 was brought to Grand Prix level by Dutch based Belgian Marc-Peter Spahn.

As a young horse he qualified for the World Championships for Young Dressage Horses, but was not allowed to participate because the KFPS was not yet recognized by the WBFSH.

Elias made his international Grand Prix debut in 2019 and competed at the CDI's in Hagen, Hamburg, Falsterbo and Ermelo. That year he also won the 2019 European Championship for Friesian Dressage Horses and earned the title of Friesian Horse of the Year 2019. He was honoured with this title at the 2019 Friesian Stallion Licensing in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, on 9 - 11 January 2020. The HOY title is allocated by public vote and expert panel.

In 2020 he competed in Gothenburg and Herning, while in 2021 the pair competed in Herning, Doha, and Herzlake. Their last international season was in 2022 with starts in herning, Hagen, Samorin, Leeuwarden and London. They did not compete internationally in 2023.

Legacy

After winning the Friesian Dressage Championships in Ermelo, Spahn announced the retirement of his stallion in September 2023. He was celebrated one last time in a retirement ceremony at the 2024 Friesian Stallion Liensing

Early 2024 the stallion moved to Sweden to spend his retirement there with his owner Linda Annell. On 6 August Elias had to be euthanized following an accident in the field.

Elias 494 was approved in 2016. In 2019, he was voted Horse of the Year and in 2023 he received his lifetime approval. He sired over 350 offspring, with nearly 40 born in 2024 His offspring include 11 Ster mares, 2 Kroon mares, 6 Ster stallions, and 4 Sport Horses. Three of his offspring achieved an AAA score in the aptitude test. He has no licensed sons.

Spahn called him "my big giant with a little heart, completely made of gold."