Multiple decorated gelding: Werth's gold horse Satchmo is dead

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Isabell Werth on Satchmo (recording from 2011)

Photo: imago sport photo service

Isabell Werth's gold horse Satchmo is dead. According to the dressage rider from Rheinberg, the gelding, who won gold at European Championships, World Championships and the Olympics, died on Saturday at the age of 28.

"Have a safe trip, my great little fighter, and thanks for everything," Werth wrote on her website on Sunday.

With Satchmo, Werth had won the titles in 2006 at the home World Championships in Aachen in front of 40,000 spectators with the team and in the Grand Prix Special.

At the Olympic Games two years later in Hong Kong, Werth won the team classification with Satchmo and was on his way to gold in the individual competition when Satchmo suddenly rose during the test - and in the end only silver remained.

The not always easy gelding was one of the favorite horses of the most successful rider in the world.

Werth associates special emotions with Satchmo.

"And we've had more than enough of that - by any measure," she wrote.

An eye disease diagnosed late is suspected to be the cause of some dropouts in the arena.

When the horse died, Werth was not at their facility in Rheinberg.

She is currently preparing in the training camp for the World Championships in Herning, Denmark, where the team competition begins next Saturday.

The nine-time world champion is part of the defending team.

ktz/dpa