Tatts leader dies after fatal cross-country injury
Four-star eventer Favorit Z has been euthanised following an accident on the cross-country at the Tattersalls International Horse Trials in Ireland on Saturday.
Ridden by Australia’s Sam Griffiths, Favorit Z had been leading in the CCI3* after posting a dressage score of 36.1.
A statement from Tattersalls advised that Favorit Z had “stumbled and fell after jumping a Triple Brush at Fence 12B resulting in a broken leg”. Before the start, Favorit Z had reportedly been kicked by another horse in the same leg that was later broken. He also had a refusal at fence 9b.
Griffiths and his team are devastated at the loss of “Frodo”.
“He was the most exceptional horse- incredibly talented, stunningly beautiful and above all the nicest person, so gentle and kind. Today we lost a dear friend and we are left with a huge hole in our hearts,” Griffiths said.
Favorit Z, who was owned by Sue Brendish and Sam Griffiths, was a 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding ridden by Belgium’s Constantin van Rijckevorsel up to 2011. By the Russian-bred thoroughbred stallion Favoritas (Reitar/Lipetsk), he was out of the Gotspe Z mare Galve Z, a hanoverian-holsteiner cross.
In the pictures below, it was at the second part of the purple fence that Favorit Z suffered the fatal accident. The below images were all taken by Jane Thompson.
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I wonder if the horse’s leg was examined by a vet after he was kicked by another horse it might have had a hairline fracture which might have gave way during the last jump. What a waste of a life.
He was apparently examined by the Australian team vet.